This report presents an analysis of basic control movements (steering wheel, accelerator pedal and brake) obtained in approximately 5,500 miles driving on a limited-access divided highway, using fourteen volunteer subjects (ten men and four women). It is shown that the frequency and magnitude of steering wheel movements (reversals) are dependent upon vehicle speed and traffic density. The increase in frequency of small magnitude reversals with increasing vehicle speed and/or traffic density reflects the greater task difficulty imposed upon the driver in these conditions. The principal uses of basic control movement data of the nature described in this report are in the assessment of differences in behaviour in a given set of circumstances, and the determination of task difficulty.
Abstract