The long-term effects of driving with an active accelerator pedal on driver behaviour were studied by using an in-car observation method over the period beginning 2000 until 2001. The system produced a counterforce in the accelerator pedal when the speed limit was reached, but could be overridden by pressing the accelerator pedal harder. Twenty-eight drivers were studied when driving without the system and then when driving with the system after they had used it in their own cars for at least six months. The results showed that their behaviour towards other road users improved, they had a yielding behaviour correct to a higher degree and were more likely to give pedestrians the right of way at zebra crossings when driving with the active accelerator pedal. It was also found that the time gap to the vehicle in front increased slightly with the system. There were also signs of negative behavioural modifications in the form of drivers forgetting to adapt their speed to the speed limit or the prevailing traffic situation when they were not supported by the system and in low speed areas; these effects, however, were not statistically significant. Together with studies showing improved speed behaviour, the results of this study augur well for great safety effects of the system. (A) "Reprinted with permission from Elsevier".
Abstract