Vehicle Incompatibility and Driver Psychology/Behaviour

The purpose of the research is to evaluate speed selection and aggressive driving behaviour when drivers are seated at different eye heights, which represent different vehicle types. Recent research has shown that people tend to underestimate vehicle speed the higher they sit from the ground. This has been posited as one reason why sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and 4x4’s are involved in more single-vehicle rollover collisions than cars, and for anecdotal reports of SUV and 4x4 drivers demonstrating more instances of aggressive driving such as tailgating. There has been no research to date, however, assessing whether, in fact, drivers who sit higher actually drive faster or tailgate more often. These issues were investigated using two driving simulators.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Transport Canada Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate

  Vehicle Systems Research Division
  330 Sparks Street, Tower C, 8th Floor
  Ottawa,     K1A 0N5
• Project Managers:

  Burns, P

  Rudin-Brown, C

• Performing Organizations:

  Transport Canada Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate

  Vehicle Systems Research Division
  330 Sparks Street, Tower C, 8th Floor
  Ottawa,     K1A 0N5
• Start Date: 20030000
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20060000
• Source Data: RiP Project 27429

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggression; Behavior; Drivers; Size; Speed; Sport utility vehicles; Tailgating
• ITRD Terms: 2287: Aggressiveness (psychol); 2248: Decision process
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01461171
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Files: RiP
• Created Date: Jan 3 2013 1:40PM