Motor Vehicle Driver Characteristics - Crash Avoidance Behavior 2007-01-0449

Designers of motor vehicles must consider driver and environmental factors to assure that vehicle capacities will be compatible with the likely demands of both to achieve a reasonable degree of safety. Extensive related data are available as a result of a large scale study performed by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration entitled “Light Vehicle Antilock Brake Systems Research Program”. Mazzae, et al [1] have published a report that described the nature of the program and its general results. Large bodies of data were created that provide further insight into motor vehicle driver behavior in crash avoidance situations. The data quantify driver behaviors in the use of steering and braking controls and of the test vehicle response to these control demands. The current work provides an analysis of these data for consideration by motor vehicle designers and others. These data are consistent with results of other similar human factors experiments in that they confirm that drivers are not likely to utilize the full maneuvering and other capacities of modern vehicles in crash avoidance.