Rapid advances in the performance of motor vehicles have emphasized the limitations on the abilities of drivers. Attempts to define and measure abilities relevant to driving tasks are illustrated with reference to perception of speed, decision making and tests of basic visual abilities. Some of the special problems of the applied experimental psychologist become evident in the description of these studies. Many areas of research relevant to driving justify further extensive research effort.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
GilesC. G. ‘Guiding and controlling cars by electronics’, New Scient.196215, 644.
2.
DentonG. C. ‘A subjective scale of speed when driving a motor vehicle’, Ergonomics19669, 203.
3.
StevensS. S. ‘On the psychophysical law’, Psychol. Rev.195764, 153.
4.
DentonG. C. ‘The use of the speedometer as an aid to driving’, Rd Res. Lab. TN/227/GGD1967 (unpublished).
5.
NorlingI.Judgement of speed in a traffic situation1963 (Almquist and Wiksells, Uppsala).
6.
CohenJ.Behaviour in uncertainty1964 (Allen and Unwin, London).
7.
BerkunM. M.BialekH. M.KernR. P.YakiK. ‘Experimental study of psychological stresses in man’, Psychol. Monogr.76 (No. 534).
8.
CrawfordA. ‘Three experiments with different degrees of simulation of the road situation’, Rd Res. Lab. RN/3593/AC1959 (unpublished).
9.
IrvingA. ‘The effect of risk and difficulty on a simple driving task’ (in preparation).
10.
CrossmanE. R. F. W.SeymourW. D. ‘The speed and accuracy of simple hand movements’, in The nature and acquisition of industrial skills. Report to the Medical Research Council and Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1957. Joint Committee on Industrial Efficiency.
11.
MillerC. N. ‘The relation between speed, error and difficulty in a simple manual task’, Rd Res. Lab. LN/8691965 (unpublished).
TaylorD. H. ‘Galvanic skin response of drivers in a wide range of road conditions’, Rd Res. Lab. LN/272/DHT1963 (unpublished).
14.
BirchG. ‘Cardiovascular system as the effector in psychosomatic phenomena’, J. Am. Med. Ass.1948136, 1011.
15.
PoultonE. C. ‘Psychology and the behaviour of drivers in the causation of traffic accidents’, Int. Rd Saf. Traff. Rev.196514 (No. 4).
16.
BurgA. ‘An investigation of some relationships between dynamic visual acuity, static visual acuity and driving record’, Report No. 64/18, Dept of Engng, Univ. of California, Los Angeles, 1964.
17.
LauerA. R. ‘Aptitude tests for Army motor vehicle operators’, 1952. Personnel Research Station, Tago, Army Dept., Washington, D. C.
18.
LauerA. R. ‘Psychophysical aptitudes, limitations and accidents’. The motor vehicle and driver1949, chap. 3 (Euo Foundation for Highway Traffic Control, Sangatuck, Conn.).
19.
GoldsteinL. G. ‘Human variables in traffic accidents’, Highw. Res. Bd1962. Bibliography 31, NAS-NRC Pub. 1054, Washington, D. C.
20.
HulbertS. F.BurgA.KnollH. A.MathewsonJ. H. ‘A preliminary study of dynamic visual acuity and its effects on motorists' vision’, J. Am. Optom. Assoc.195829, 359.
21.
LudvighE. J.MillerJ. W. ‘A study of dynamic visual acuity’, 1953. Joint Research Report Bu. Med. Research Project NN 001, 075, 01.01.
22.
BurgA. ‘The relationship between test scores and driving record: general findings’, Report No. 67/24, Institute of Trans. and Traff. Engng, Univ. of California, Los Angeles, 1967.