Learning to avoid oncoming motorcycles at intersections.

Crashes involving drivers turning right across the path of oncoming motorcycles are an ongoing problem for rider safety. This study demonstrated the acquisition of avoidance learning in a decision task similar to that made by drivers when turning across oncoming traffic at an intersection. A sample of 48 participants was divided randomly into two groups, a learning Group and a control Group. In the first phase of the study, participants responded to photographs of oncoming traffic at intersections, presented on a computer monitor, by indicating whether they would turn across the traffic in each situation or would choose to wait. The result was consistent with the acquisition of avoidance learning, with learning group participants becoming more cautious as the first phase continued but only when the image included a motorcycle. A second phase conducted four weeks later demonstrated that the avoidance learning had not decayed, and showed the effect of prior learning in the avoidance learning paradigm. The implications of this demonstration of avoidance learning for the development of training programs are discussed. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E214057. Printed volume contains peer-reviewed papers. CD-ROM contains submitted papers.