DRIVER PERFORMANCE WITH RIGHT-SIDE CONVEX MIRRORS (DISCUSSION AND CLOSURE)

The mirror-use behavior of drivers was investigated as they gathered information from rearview mirrors in order to execute freeway lane changes and merges. Nine drivers (three novice, three experienced, and three mature) drove a 1973 Buick LeSabre with and without a right-side fender-mounted convex mirror along a 22.5-km (14-mile) freeway route. The total time to obtain information per maneuver was the same for both cases. In a subsequent study, the mirror-use behavior of five subjects who drove a 1976 Nova without a right-side convex mirror was compared with that of 12 subjects who drove the same vehicle with a right-side door-mounted convex mirror. Again there were no differences in total time to obtain rear-vision information. Experienced drivers (mean age = 24) took less time to obtain information when a right-side convex mirror was available than when it was not; older drivers (mean age = 61) took more time. Also, experienced drivers required about 10 h of driving experience to become efficient users of a right-side convex mirror, while older drivers required considerably more driving experience. Finally, a comparison of right-side door- and fender-mounted convex mirrors indicated that the drivers' total time to obtain information was the same for each mounting location, but drivers who had the fender-mounted mirror made a greater number of direct looks to the rear. (Author)

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1979/737/737-016.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=DRIVER+PERFORMANCE+WITH+RIGHT-SIDE+CONVEX+MIRRORS+(DISCUSSION+AND+CLOSURE)&author=R.+Mourant&author=R.+Donohue&publication_year=1979
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Visibility. 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
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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• Authors:
  • Mourant, Ronald R
  • Donohue, Robert J
• Discussers:
  • Rockwell, Thomas H
  • Henderson, Robert L
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 95-104
• Monograph Title: TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES, GEOMETRICS, VISIBILITY, AND ROUTE GUIDANCE
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 737
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Convex mirrors; Driver performance; Drivers; Knowledge; Personnel performance; Rearview mirrors
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver age; Experience
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00315076
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309029929
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-029 520
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 8 1984 12:00AM