STEERING REVERSALS, MEASURES OF DRIVER PERFORMANCE AND STEERING TASK DIFFICULTY

A review is given of the work in which steering reversal rates were used as a measure of driver performance. The data from two previously reported experiments, carried out in a controlled situation, are used to compare steering reversal rates with other performance measures. It is shown that, while steering reversal rates correlate with other measures of control frequency, they do not necessarily correlate with measures of absolute steering performance. This result is consistent with the view that frequency characteristics provide a measure of steering task difficulty rather than steering performance. The general problems of selecting measures of steering performance and steering task difficulty are discussed. It is shown that, when considering steering task difficulty care should be taken to differentiate between the difficulty imposed by the task constraints, and the factors which affect the driver's ability to maintain a level of performance commensurate with those constraints. The development of a steering performance index which considers both steering accuracy and control effort is recommended. (A) /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  ARRB

  Melbourne, Victoria  Australia 
• Authors:
  • McLean, J R
  • Hoffman, E R
• Publication Date: 1973-7

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 31 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated vehicle control; Behavior; Driver performance; Drivers; Driving; Errors; Motor skills; Personnel performance; Steering
• Old TRIS Terms: Steering control
• ITRD Terms: 1772: Driver; 1855: Driving (veh); 6440: Error; 2205: Skill (road user); 1834: Steering (process)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00147994
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: ARR Report No. 11 Monog Ser
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 29 1977 12:00AM