Citation

Uno H, Iihoshi A. Rev. Automot. Eng. 2005; 26(4): 489-496.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper proposes a method of estimating the information-processing demands of traffic situations. The subsidiary task methodology required drivers to complete simple arithmetic tasks while driving. First, in a laboratory experiment, the relationship between arithmetic performance and drivers' spare mental capacities was determined as a reference of estimation. A simulated driving experiment then confirmed that the arithmetic task used in this study did not interfere with driving, and estimated remaining capacities were correlated to set situations in a driving simulator. In actual driving in rural and urban areas, estimated spare capacities were distributed from 4 to 14 bits/s, and the mode was 12 bits/s. Information-processing demands tended to increase in particular situations such as turning at an intersection, preparing to turn, reacting to sudden behavior changes of other road users, proceeding slowly to follow another vehicle, passing beside parked vehicles, and changing lanes. These results confirmed that the proposed method is usable to measure information-processing demands on drivers. Additionally, decrements of remaining capacities were observed in relatively simple situations such as when the vehicle was stopped or was running along the road, possibly reflecting changes in the amount of a driver's processing resources.