Citation

Stinchcombe A, Gagnon S. Proc. Int. Driv. Symp. Hum. Factors Driv. Assess. Train. Veh. Des. 2009; 5: 440-446.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, University of Iowa Public Policy Center)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The challenge posed by left-turns has been well-documented in literature. Left-turns are thought to be complex roadway sites resulting in a significant proportion of motor-vehicle collisions. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether subjective and objective workload is affected by left-turns of varying complexity (i.e., information processing and maneuvering) in a sample of young inexperienced drivers. A secondary goal was to determine the effect of administering a secondary task on subjective workload. To this end, 60 inexperienced drivers completed four simulated driving scenarios of varying visual and maneuvering complexity. Half of participants completed an objective measure of workload (i.e., a secondary task) while all participants completed a subjective measure of workload upon completion of each scenario. The results demonstrated the effect of complexity on subjective and objective workload. Specifically, information processing complexity was found to significantly affect both subjective and objective measures of participants’ workload while the influence of maneuvering complexity was detected through subjective load only.