ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION BY DRIVERS IN ROAD TRAFFIC

BILFOERARES INFORMATIONSINHAEMTNING I VAEGTRAFIK

The technical side of the man-machine system "traffic" has undergone major developments, but traffic has increased in speed and complexity, so that psychological stresses have greatly increased. Acquisition by drivers of information concerning traffic, road characteristics and vehicle movements is of vital importance, and to improve transmission of information it is essential to know the information needs, collection strategies and information effectivity. Tests were made involving systematic recording of eye and head movements and verbal reports of perception and reactions, correlated with recording of traffic environment. Use and effectivity of peripheral vision was the common denominator in field tests. Tests on drivers' ability to follow a course using only peripheral vision showed performance to be inversely proportional to angle between course and eye direction, with large individual variations. Eye movement recording, although prone to weaknesses, was found satisfactory for measurement and analysis of information acquisition. Peripheral vision can record the colour and shape of road signs, but identification of text and symbols needs practically central vision. Tests to find, by head movement recording and verbal reports, whether information collection strategy is based on abstract information or concrete environmental information showed that drivers mostly react on the basis of the latter. /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Uppsala University, Sweden

  Department of Psychology, Tradgardsgaten 20
  75220 Uppsala,   Sweden 
• Authors:
  • Helmers, G
  • Rumar, K
  • AABERG, L
• Publication Date: 1977-6

Language

• Swedish

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 81 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Color; Data collection; Driver information systems; Drivers; Driving; Environmental impacts; Eye movements; Field of vision; Field tests; Head; Human machine systems; Legibility; Motion; Motor reactions; Motor skills; Perception; Psychological aspects; Reaction time; Shape; Tests; Traffic; Traffic signs; Vision
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver reaction
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver vision
• ITRD Terms: 9001: Behaviour; 6784: Colour; 1772: Driver; 2057: Eye movement; 2056: Field of vision; 540: Legibility; 5483: Movement; 2229: Perception; 2247: Reaction (human); 9073: Shape; 2205: Skill (road user); 6255: Test; 553: Traffic sign
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00178557
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 27 1978 12:00AM