DRIVER RISK-TAKING: THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DRIVER SAFETY INDEX

A METHODOLOGY TO CLASSIFY AUTOMOBILE DRIVERS ACCORDING TO THEIR RISK-ACCEPTANCE DECISIONS, THEIR VISUAL-PERCEPTION CAPABILTIES, AND THEIR DRIVING SKILLS IS PRESENTED. A DRIVE- THROUGH GAP SITUATION WAS USED TO DEVELOP AND EXPERIMENTALLY INVESTIGATE THE CONCEPT OF THE DRIVER SAFETY INDEX. THE CONCEPT IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT A DRIVER'S "SAFETY DISTANCE" BETWEEN THE MEAN OF HIS PSYCHOMETRIC RISK- ACCEPTANCE FUNCTION AND THE MEAN OF HIS PSYCHOMETRIC VISUAL- PERCEPTION FUNCTION FOR A GAP, EXPRESSED IN MULTIPLES OF THE STANDARD DEVIATION OF HIS DRIVING-SKILL DISTRIBUTION FOR CENTERLINE PATH DEVIATIONS IN THE GAP, IS A REPRESENTATIVE MEASURE OF HIS RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOR. FOUR SUBJECTS WERE USED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION. A SEQUENTIAL ESTIMATION PROCEDURE WAS USED TO OBTAIN POINTS ON THE PSYCHOMETRIC VISUAL-PERCEPTION AND RISK-ACCEPTANCE FUNCTIONS. THE EXPERIMENTALLY OBTAINED VALUES INDICATE THAT THE METHODOLOGY SEEMS SENSITIVE AND SUCCESSFUL IN DETECTING DIFFERENCES AMONG THE DRIVERS. IN ADDITION, THE DRIVERS WHO EXHIBITED EITHER RATHER LARGE OR SMALL VALUES UNDER A GIVEN SET OF EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS EXHIBITED SIMILAR LARGE OR SMALL VALUES UNDER A DIFFERENT SET OF EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS. CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES WITH RESPECT TO HOW THE SUBJECTS PERCEIVED GAPS OF A GIVEN SIZE WERE FOUND. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1973/464/464-001.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309021979
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Road User Characteristics. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Zwahlen, Helmut T
• Conference:
  • 52nd Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1973-1-22 to 1973-1-26
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-12
• Monograph Title: Driver behavior: research methods
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 464
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Center lines; Classification; Drivers; Experiments; Hazards; Indexes (Information management); Methodology; Risk assessment; Safety factors; Visual perception
• Old TRIS Terms: Psychrometrics
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222342
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309021979
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-014 202
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 20 1983 12:00AM