ASPECTS OF ROAD LAYOUT THAT AFFECT DRIVERS' PERCEPTION AND RISK TAKING

Various road locations were investigated by requiring 60 volunteer drivers to make assessments of risk on a 16 mile route. The route covered a wide range of road types and hazards, eg rural dual carriageways, narrow suburban roads, sharp hill crests, level crossing. The locations were ordered on these subjective evaluations and compared with the ranking on objective risk which was obtained from accident and traffic flow data. At some locations wide discrepancies were found between the subjective and objective risk levels. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. Drivers' speeds were also recorded on the 16 mile route and at those locations where drivers were generally able to set their own speed, the forward visibility distances were measured. This allowed the calculation of a measure of safety margin. It was found that at one left-hand bend almost all drivers tested adopted a negative safety margin. Recommendation for improving this and similar sites are made.(a) (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Transport and Road Research Laboratory

  Road User Characterisitcs Division, Old Wokingham Road
  Crowthorne RG11 6AU, Berkshire,   England 
• Authors:
  • WATTS, G R
  • Quimby, A R
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 21 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Deformation; Drivers; Evaluation and assessment; Hazards; Highway curves; Highway design; Highway safety; Highways; Improvements; Layout; Location; Perception; Principal types of roads; Risk assessment; Risk taking; Safety; Sight distance; Speed; Visibility distance
• Uncontrolled Terms: Highway location
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver perception
• ITRD Terms: 2872: Bend (road); 1772: Driver; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 2755: Highway; 9108: Improvement; 2885: Layout; 2229: Perception; 9150: Risk; 2259: Risk taking; 1665: Safety; 5408: Speed; 6793: Visibility distance
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00319218
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: TRRL LR920 Monograph, HS-029 070
• Files: HSL, ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 6 1984 12:00AM