title: Effects of fog, driver experience and gender on driving behavior on S-curved road segments.
abstract: Driving on curved roads has been recognized as a significant safety issue for many years. However, driver behavior and the interactions among variables that affect driver performance on curves is complicated and not well understood. Previous studies have investigated various factors that influence driver performance on right- or left-turn curves, but have paid little attention to the effects of foggy weather, driver experience and gender on driver performance on complex curves. A driving simulator experiment was conducted in this study to evaluate the relationships between driving behavior on a continuous S-curve and foggy weather, driver experience and gender. The process of negotiating a curve was divided into three stages consisting of a straight segment, the transition from the straight segment to the S-curve and the S-curve. The experimental results indicated that drivers tended to drive more cautiously in heavy fog, but the driving risk was still increased, especially in the transition stage from the straight segment to the S-curve. The non-professional (NP) drivers were less sensitive to the impending change in the road geometry, and less skilled in both longitudinal and lateral vehicle control than the professional drivers. The NP female drivers in particular were found to be the most vulnerable group in S-curve driving.
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory for Urban Transportation Complex System Theory and Technology, School of Traffic and Transportation, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China. Electronic address: 13114249@bjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaomeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory for Urban Transportation Complex System Theory and Technology, School of Traffic and Transportation, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China. Electronic address: xdyan@bjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xuedong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: hhecwsc@hku.hk.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving; D001519:Behavior; D002681:China; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003654:Deceleration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D014887:Weather; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Driver experience; Driver gender; Driving behavior; Driving simulator; Fog weather; S-curve