BRAKING AND STEERING EFFORT CAPABILITIES OF DRIVERS

TWO EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE A LEVEL OF CONTROL EFFORT THAT CAN BE EXERTED OR EXCEEDED BY A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF DRIVERS. IN BOTH STUDIES FEMALE SUBJECTS WERE MADE TO RESPOND TO AN UNEXPECTED DRASTIC INCREASE IN CONTROL EFFORT WHILE ATTEMPTING MANEUVERS IN A VEHICLE. IN ONE STUDY, SUBJECTS WERE REQUIRED TO BRAKE A VEHICLE IN A DEAD-END PYLON CORRIDOR, RESULTING IN A 5TH PERCENTILE PEDAL FORCE CAPABILITY FOR WOMEN OF 100 POUNDS. IN THE OTHER STUDY SUBJECTS WERE REQUIRED TO PERFORM A LANE CHANGE MANEUVER, RESULTING IN A 5TH PERCENTILE STEERING WHEEL POWER CAPABILITY FOR WOMEN OF .023 HORSEPOWER. FROM THESE STUDIES IT IS POSSIBLE TO PREDICT WITH STATISTICAL CONFIDENCE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE FEMALE DRIVING POPULATION CAN GENERATE AT LEAST A CERTAIN FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND A CERTAIN POWER ON THE STEERING WHEEL. /HSL/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • pp 153-158, 12 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Intl Auto Sfty Conf Compendium

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Eaton, D A
  • Dittmeier, H J
• Publication Date: 1970

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated vehicle control; Braking; Control; Driver performance; Drivers; Females; Personnel performance; Statistical analysis; Steering; Strength of materials; Vehicles
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223371
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Literature
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 11 1971 12:00AM