Title: Quantitative assessment of driver's risk perception using a simulator

Authors: Mitsuteru Kokubun, Hiroyuki Konishi, Kazunori Higuchi, Tetsuo Kurahashi, Yoshiyuki Umemura, Hiroaki Nishi

Addresses: Toyota Central Research and Development Laboratories Incorporated, 41-1, Yokomichi, Nagakute, Nagakute-cho, Aichi-ken, 480-1192, Japan. ' Toyota Central Research and Development Laboratories Incorporated, 41-1, Yokomichi, Nagakute, Nagakute-cho, Aichi-ken, 480-1192, Japan. ' Toyota Central Research and Development Laboratories Incorporated, 41-1, Yokomichi, Nagakute, Nagakute-cho, Aichi-ken, 480-1192, Japan. ' Toyota Central Research and Development Laboratories Incorporated, 41-1, Yokomichi, Nagakute, Nagakute-cho, Aichi-ken, 480-1192, Japan. ' Toyota Central Research and Development Laboratories Incorporated, 41-1, Yokomichi, Nagakute, Nagakute-cho, Aichi-ken, 480-1192, Japan. ' Toyota Nagoya Education Center Incorporated, Chubu Nippon Driver School, 1737, Fujimi, Yagoto, Showa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, 466-0812, Japan

Abstract: Driver|s prejudice is the major cause of road accidents in Japan. Prejudice implies the cognitive status of the drivers, in that the drivers perceive the accidental risk to be lower than the objective risk. In this study, the Simple and Useful Perceived Risk Estimation Method was proposed that estimates the driver|s perceived risk quantitatively, using driving behaviour data. In addition, a driving simulator named the |Toyota Educational Driver-Diagnosis System| was developed for easy assessment of the driver|s prejudice. Sixty subjects participated in the experiment and the relationships between assessed prejudice and conventional aptitude tests were investigated. Risk perceptions of aged drivers were investigated by comparing the behaviour of subjects in four groups comprising non-aged, young-old, old-old and driving instructors. The results provided insights into the driver assistance required for aged drivers. This study aims to provide a basis for new types of driver assistance that will prevent prejudice in the epoch of Intelligent Transport Systems.

Keywords: active safety; aged drivers; driver assistance; driver training; driving simulator; human error; human-machine interface; intelligent transport systems; driver prejudice; risk perception; simulation; road accidents; Japan; risk estimation; driver behaviour; elderly drivers; accident prevention.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVS.2005.007534

International Journal of Vehicle Safety, 2005 Vol.1 No.1/2/3, pp.5 - 21

Published online: 03 Aug 2005 *

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