Driver workload at higher speeds.

Details

• Creators:
  Fitzpatrick, Kay ; Chrysler, Susan ; Park, Eun Sug ; Nelson, Alicia ; Robertson, James ; Iragavarapu, Vichika
• Corporate Creators:
  Texas Transportation Institute
• Corporate Contributors:
  Texas. Dept. of Transportation. Research and Technology Implementation Office
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Automobiles--Speed--Psychological Aspects Psychological Aspects Automobile Drivers--Psychology Speed And Delay Studies Traffic Speed
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA/TX-10/0-5911-1
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Texas
• Edition:
  Technical report;Sept. 2007-Aug. 2009.
• Corporate Publisher:
  Texas Transportation Institute
• Abstract:
  The goal of this Texas Department of Transportation project was to gain a better understanding of driver performance
  
  at high speeds. Specific efforts included the following studies:
  
  • The Closed-Course Pilot Study consisted of observing and recording the activities and actions of a series of drivers
  
  following a lead vehicle going either 60 or 85 mph.
  
  • The Open-Road Pilot Study recorded participants driving between Odessa and Pecos, Texas, within 70- and
  
  80-mph sections.
  
  • The Simulator Pilot Study determined driver reactions to a looming vehicle (both passenger car and large truck)
  
  and also generated directions for how to conduct the Phase II simulator study.
  
  • The Simulator Phase II Study collected brake reaction to a vehicle looming in the driver’s view for 50 participants.
  
  Conditions varied included initial speed, lead vehicle type, lead vehicle deceleration rate, and workload level.
  
  • The Following Distance Study used data from traffic counters to identify speed and axle gap data on freeways with
  
  60-, 70-, and 80-mph posted speed limits.
  
  • The Gaps at Passing Study measured gaps during passing maneuvers for daylight conditions on freeway sections.
  
  When responding to a vehicle slowing in their lane, drivers in the Simulator Phase II Study at the 85-mph speed had a
  
  reaction time that was statistically longer than that of drivers at the 60-mph speed. In the simulator, on-road, and test
  
  track studies where researchers directly measured driver performance, performance declined when a driver was
  
  multitasking at the higher speed. The traffic counter data showed that axle clearance distance was larger for the
  
  80-mph freeway sites as compared to the 60- and 70-mph speed limit sites, both statistically and practically. The
  
  Gaps at Passing Study found a different result; drivers used similar passing gap distances on both 70- and 80-mph
  
  sections.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  0-5911
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:65dae273329659c802feefaa26182bc0488e532ae38e0ad6130ce6302a8545583ae7b0a4e7a0afeece8ea2bf7d699be602c00622248af36da1b8f4dd575e587d
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/17634/dot_17634_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.61 MB ]