Part I presents a research on the velocity and manoeuvre behaviour of drivers approaching and passing a junction in the IJsselmeer polder. On this junction many severe accidents have occurred and they were attributed to polder blindness. Polder blindness is a.o. a strong decrease in the level of attention and adaptation to a high speed due to the monotony of the environment. Polder blindness results in high approaching speeds and little or no decrease in speed when passing the junction. Due to the impossibility of a physiological and psychological study of polder blindness, a study is made of the speed behaviour of drivers. Approaching speeds were very high, but the manoeuvre behaviour on the junction was justified. In the environmental aspects some imperfections were found, which are also of influence in the occurrence of accidents. Bad perceptibility of the junction and crossing traffic, together with adaptation of speed were causes of accidents. Polder blindness could not be assumed. Part II gives possible measures to prevent speed adaptations and better estimation possibilities of speed and distance for crossing traffic. Part III presents maps, tables and graphs.
Abstract