TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors influencing drivers' left turn decisions
AU - Hancock, P. A.
AU - Caird, J. K.
AU - Shekhar, S.
AU - Vercruyssen, M.
PY - 1991
Y1 - 1991
N2 - An experiment is reported which examined drivers' responses in turning left across a line of traffic as presented in a closed-loop, interactive, fixed-base driving simulator. Drivers were located near an intersection and instructed to turn left across a stream of on-coming traffic when they felt that it was safe for them to do so. The on-coming stream of traffic was varied in terms of the physical parameters of approach velocity, inter-vehicle time interval, and vehicle type. Specifically, seven velocities (10-70 mph) were crossed with seven gap sizes (3-9 sec) to yield forty-nine within-subject conditions for each of four, between-subject, vehicle types; motorcycle, compact car, large car, and delivery truck. There were ten subjects per vehicle type, giving forty total participants in the experiment. Results indicated differential acceptance of gap and velocity combinations depending upon the of approaching vehicle. Collisions tended to occur along the boundaries where driver's decisions to reject or accept turns were ambivalent. They also occurred with greater frequency at higher velocity approach rates. Turn decisions were not dependent upon a single physical parameter such as vehicle velocity or inter-vehicle distance, although gap-size generated an arguable influence. Rather, left turn decisions appeared to result from the complex interplay of rate-of-change perceptual variables such as 'time-to-contact' and the perceived characteristics of the vehicles themselves. Implications of the results are discussed with respect to the perception of vehicles and turn safety at roadway intersections.
AB - An experiment is reported which examined drivers' responses in turning left across a line of traffic as presented in a closed-loop, interactive, fixed-base driving simulator. Drivers were located near an intersection and instructed to turn left across a stream of on-coming traffic when they felt that it was safe for them to do so. The on-coming stream of traffic was varied in terms of the physical parameters of approach velocity, inter-vehicle time interval, and vehicle type. Specifically, seven velocities (10-70 mph) were crossed with seven gap sizes (3-9 sec) to yield forty-nine within-subject conditions for each of four, between-subject, vehicle types; motorcycle, compact car, large car, and delivery truck. There were ten subjects per vehicle type, giving forty total participants in the experiment. Results indicated differential acceptance of gap and velocity combinations depending upon the of approaching vehicle. Collisions tended to occur along the boundaries where driver's decisions to reject or accept turns were ambivalent. They also occurred with greater frequency at higher velocity approach rates. Turn decisions were not dependent upon a single physical parameter such as vehicle velocity or inter-vehicle distance, although gap-size generated an arguable influence. Rather, left turn decisions appeared to result from the complex interplay of rate-of-change perceptual variables such as 'time-to-contact' and the perceived characteristics of the vehicles themselves. Implications of the results are discussed with respect to the perception of vehicles and turn safety at roadway intersections.
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U2 - 10.1177/154193129103501525
DO - 10.1177/154193129103501525
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:0025901648
SN - 0163-5182
VL - 2
SP - 1139
EP - 1143
JO - Proceedings of the Human Factors Society
JF - Proceedings of the Human Factors Society
T2 - Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 35th Annual Meeting Volume 2 (of 2)
Y2 - 2 September 1991 through 6 September 1991
ER -