Although our most important sensory system is visual, other cues, including kinaesthetic, are important for behaviour regulation. This paper deals with the possibility of creating non-visual displays to warn a driver in or before dangerous situations. Several patterns of seat movements in a driving simulator were evaluated, where it was found that tilting the seat resulted in a reduction in speed. To test the relative influence of kinaesthetic cues on drivers' behaviour regulation, subjects drove in a truck on a test track in two conditions: as blind co-drivers and as full-sighted drivers. In both experiments speed, gas pedal position and lateral acceleration were recorded. A third independent variable, locus of control, was introduced to the experiment. This was found to have no systematic influence on the subject's reactions to curve driving with or without a visual input. If the visual information is sufficient for behaviour regulation, kinaesthetic feedback seems to play a minor role: however, if visual information is reduced, kinaesthetic information becomes more important. (A)
Abstract