Impact of Red Light Running Camera Flashes on Younger and Older Driver Brake Response Times

Initial evidence suggests that Red Light running Camera (RLRC) flashes attract both attention and the eyes away from safety-relevant driving information. Older adults are likely to be even more susceptible to the distracting effects of RLRC flashes as this age group often exhibits poorer attentional and eye movement control compared to younger adults. In addition, older adults' increased susceptibility to glare and altered dark adaptation processes may increase the distracting effects of RLRC flashes even further in nighttime scenes in which the flare is more salient. The proposed research will utilize simulated driving scenes to determine if older adults are differentially distracted by RLRC flashes, and whether this increased distractibility is more pronounced for nighttime scenes. Results of the proposed research will be informative regarding whether situational and individual difference factors modulate the degree to which RLRC flashes are distracting. In addition, results of the research will have implications for the design of future driving simulator studies to investigate what the perceptual and attentional effects of RLRC flashes mean for the driving performance and safety of both younger and older adults.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $10800.00
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT13-G-UTC42

  03317-34417

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  University Transportation Centers Program
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Tucker-Thomas, Dawn

• Performing Organizations:

  Center for Accessibility and Safety for an Aging Population

  Florida State University
  Tallahassee, FL  United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Wright, Timothy

• Start Date: 20140109
• Expected Completion Date: 20141223
• Actual Completion Date: 20150521
• Source Data: RiP Project 36863

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age groups; Aged drivers; Cameras; Drivers; Driving simulators; Flash lamps; Glare; Nighttime crashes; Red light running
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01530641
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Accessibility and Safety for an Aging Population
• Contract Numbers: DTRT13-G-UTC42, 03317-34417
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jul 23 2014 1:01AM