Perception and performance: Evaluating driver behavior on horizontal curves at day and night based on optical flow...

Area of Science:

• Human-computer interaction
• Road safety research
• Transportation engineering

Background:

• Driver behavior and perception are critical for safe navigation on horizontal curves.
• Road geometry and visibility conditions significantly influence driving performance.
• Understanding the interplay between visual perception and vehicle dynamics is essential for accident prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how road geometry and visibility impact driver behavior and perception on horizontal curves.
• To establish a model linking driver visual perception (Focus of Expansion - FOE) with vehicle dynamics.
• To identify specific conditions and locations on curves that pose the highest risk.

Main Methods:

• A driving simulator was used to replicate sharp (200m), moderate (400m), and loose (600m) radius curves under day and night conditions.
• An FOE model was developed to correlate visual perception with vehicle dynamics.
• Eye movement and vehicle dynamics data were collected from 24 participants.

Main Results:

• Night driving on sharp curves significantly reduced the alignment between driver perception and vehicle motion, causing delayed steering and increased lateral errors.
• The highest misalignment occurred in the latter half of curves, correlating with the minimum FOE radius.
• Reduced driver vigilance was noted on loose curves, suggesting psychological factors influence performance.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing curve radii and improving the perception-vehicle dynamics link are crucial for reducing accident risks.
• Traffic guidance placement and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) with FOE-based feedback can enhance safety, especially in low visibility conditions.
• Driver perception-motion alignment is a key factor in curve negotiation safety.