THIRTY SUBSYSTEMS CONSTITUTING A FUNCTIONING MOTOR VEHICLE, INCLUDING BRAKE, STEERING, SUSPENSION, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL, AND FUEL SYSTEMS, WERE EVALUATED BY INDIVIDUALS ON A SET OF RISK CHARACTERISTIC SCALES. THESE INCLUDED OVERALL VEHICLE RISKINESS, MANUFACTURER'S ANTICIPATORY KNOWLEDGE OF SYSTEM DEFECTS DURING VEHICLE DESIGN, LIKELIHOOD OF SEVERE CONSEQUENCES IN THE EVENT OF SYSTEM FAILURE, CONTROLLABILITY OF THE VEHICLE, AND OBSERVABILITY OF IMPENDING FAILURE. AN ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTING JUDGMENTS REVEALED 2 COMPOSITE FACTORS, ONE REPRESENTING THE CONTROLLABILITY OF CONSEQUENCES AND THE OTHER REPRESENTING OBSERVABILITY. BOTH FACTORS WERE HIGHLY RELATED TO JUDGMENTS OF RISK, DESIRE FOR RISK REGULATION, AND ANTICIPATED RECALL COMPLIANCE. A COPARISON OF RISK JUDGMENTS WITH ACCIDENT DATA SUGGESTED THATFOR SOME VEHICLE SYSTEMS, PARTICULARLY THOSE SERVING A COMMUNICATION FUNCTION IN THE DRIVING TASK, DRIVERS MAY UNDERESTIMATE THE ACTUALRISK THEY FACE WHEN SYSTEM PERFORMANCE HAS DEGRADED.
Abstract