Citation

Miura T. IATSS Res. 1992; 16(1): 42-50.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Traffic accidents at intersections are most remarkable. Though most drivers are attentive at intersections, accidents occur more frequently. In order to clarify the underlying mechanism of visual search in demanding situations and intersections, a new experimental method was developed and applied. It was shown that, in demanding situations, especially in crowded intersections, drivers processed deeper at each fixation point, that is, they are more attentive. Therefore the functional field of view becomes more narrow. Thus, reaction time for detecting relevant objects becomes longer (late detection). Two points should be noted. One is the importance of reserving one's own mental spare capacity in demanding situations, and the other is the importance of improvement of complex intersections to decrease drivers' mental load.