The impact of perceptual countermeasures on driving behaviour in rural-urban transition : a driving simulator study

• Many journeys include transitions from a road stretch where the speed limit drops from higher values to lower values. These transition road segments (i.e. rural to urban) are more complex for drivers because of changes in the road environment combined with sudden speed changes (i.e. 70 kph to 50 kph in Flanders) which often yield to an inadequate adaption to the speed limits. As speed influences both the probability of a crash and its severity, these transitions could be considered as higher accidents prone zones. Furthermore, logistic models describing the relationship between impact speed and pedestrian fatality risk show that the risk increases very rapidly for any small increase in the impact speed after 50 kph. Therefore, appropriate speed management at rural to urban transitions between 70 kph and 50 kph is essential.Different types of approaches have been used to manage driving speed on roads. Allpress & Leland argued that perceptual countermeasures shape the roadside environment designs to increase drivers’ estimation or feeling of speed. This increased perceptual speed might result in an actual speed decrease. Furthermore, as previously tested by researchers, perceptual countermeasures were one of the acceptable possible solutions to adequately reduce driving speed and increase road safety at transitions. In this study, we focus more specifically on optical pavement markings of which various types exist. Optical speed bars (OSB) with reduced spacing in travelling direction were used to increase drivers’ perceptual speed; while dragon teeth markings, peripheral transverse bars and herringbone pattern were used for producing road narrowing effect. To achieve combined perceptual effects of increasing drivers’ attention, increasing perceptual speed and creating road narrowing effect, researchers tested combinations of different treatments.In the current study, we aim to achieve combined perceptual effects (i.e. increase drivers’ attention, perceptual speed and perceptual road narrowing effect) by implementing a single treatment using a driving simulator. To achieve combined perceptual effects, we introduced Optical Circles ‘OC’ with increasing diameters based on the concept of forced perspective illusion and compared with a modified form of the commonly used speed bars (i.e. Optical Bars ‘OB’ with increasing widths and decreasing spacing). To the best of our knowledge, circle markings have never used for this purpose while speed bars are commonly used with fixed width and decreasing spacing.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Infrastrukturteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Infrastructure Engineering (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Transportteknik och logistik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Transport Systems and Logistics (hsv//eng)

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X RSXC

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