LATENCIES IN VEHICLE STEERING: IT IS POSSIBLE TO MEASURE DRIVERS RESPONSE LATENCIES AND ATTENTION UNOBTRUSIVELY ON THE ROAD

This paper reviews results from a series of studies in which latencies in driver/vehicle steering responses were measured on the road, unobtrusively, and with representative samples of unsuspecting drivers. Based on the fact that an obstacle on the road shoulder induces an avoidance response, i.e., a lateral displacement towards the middle of the road, a stimulus event was introduced at various distances when a car was approaching so that the time available to drivers for an avoidance response was known. It was found, first, that the average steering response started at latencies greater than 1 s, reached the half-way point at 2.5 s and the maximum at 3-4 s, depending on the situation. Second, this method was applied in a project on the effects of a warning flasher on driver behavior in school zones. It was found that the flasher reduced the drivers' steering response latencies. This was supposedly the first time to measure drivers' attention unobtrusively.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors Society, Rochester, New York, 12-16 October 1981.
• Corporate Authors:

  Human Factors Society

  1134 Montana
  Santa Monica, CA  United States  90403
• Authors:
  • SUMMALA, H
• Publication Date: 1981

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 711-715
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Human Factors Society
  • Publisher: Human Factors Society

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention value; Behavior; Drivers; Emergency response time; Field studies; Flashers; Reaction time; Safety; Schools; Steering; Warning systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Accident avoidance
• Old TRIS Terms: Field observation
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00366985
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-032 987
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 30 1982 12:00AM