How accurate are memories of traffic accidents? Increased false memory levels among motorcyclists when confronted with accident-related word lists

Previous studies have found that false memories increase when people receive stimuli which is related to their knowledge base. In the current set of four experiments, we examined how accident experience affected false memory production among motorcyclists using different types of false memory word lists. Specifically, Experiments 1, 2, and 3 were conducted involving motorcyclists with and without accident experience, whereas Study 4 was conducted on non-motorcyclists without accident experience. In all experiments, participants were given associatively-related word lists known to foster false memory creation. Different types of word lists were used consisting of accident-related words, emotionally-negative words, and neutral words. Levels of false memory were measured using recall and recognition tests. We found consistent results in Experiments 1, 2, and 3 in which among motorcyclists, accident-related words produced higher levels of false memory than emotionally-negative and neutral words. This pattern was not observed in Experiment 4 where non-motorcyclists were involved. Our results shed light on the role of previous experience on false memory formation. One implication could be that the police should be careful with reports of motorcyclists' experiences about their accidents as motorcyclists may spontaneously come up with false, but related details concerning these experiences.     

What constitutes traffic event severity in terms of human danger perception?

This study focuses on the severity gradation of non-collision events. Earlier theoretical work has suggested that a proper severity measure for an event should reflect the risk of personal injury, which is often split into two components, including the risk of a collision and the potential consequences had the collision taken place. While a great number of severity measures have been suggested, most of them fail to address both components, thus resulting in counter-intuitive event gradations and inconclusive outcomes in validation studies. Conversely, it has been shown that human observers often show very good agreement when given a task to rank traffic situations by their severity or level of danger. The aim of this study is to investigate in depth how human judgements of the severity of traffic situations can be expressed by means of objective safety indicators. In this study, a set of video-recorded traffic situations, in which a cyclist passes straight through an intersection while a left or right-turning motor vehicle crosses the cyclist’s path, were analysed. Binary logistic regression was used to develop models assessing the most important traffic severity indicators associated with human feelings of danger. The results showed that the initial conditions of a traffic event, defined as a start of an evasive action, contain the most important information for explaining its severity. Moreover, variables related to both proximity and collision consequences are important and should be integrated into severity measures.     

Psychometric properties of driver self-image inventory for Chinese drivers and its associations with personality and driving style

This study aimed to adapt the Driver Self-image Inventory (DSII, Taubman-Ben-Ari, 2008) to Chinese drivers and examine its relationship with personality traits and driving style. Six hundred forty drivers aged 18–55 years agreed to participate in this study. Measurements included the DSII, a personality scale and a validated Chinese version of the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI). The results of exploratory factor analysis (n = 302) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 305) yielded a three-factor scale with satisfactory reliability. Significant gender differences were found on the DSII factors, with male drivers scoring higher on the impulsive driver factor and lower on the cautious driver factor than female drivers. The validity of the DSII was supported by significant associations between the DSII factors and personality traits, driving style and number of traffic violations and accidents in the previous 12 months. Moreover, drivers with traffic accidents scored significantly lower on the cautious driver factor and higher on the impulsive driver factor than those without traffic accidents. These findings indicate that the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the DSII are acceptable.     

Guiding drivers towards safer driving speed: Exploiting visual dominance in speed adaptation

Inappropriate speed is a main cause of accidents. Drivers are often unaware of potential risks due to inadequate speed. To prevent dangerous situations, we need to understand perceptual factors influencing human speed perception. Due to the prominent role of vision in driving, we examined the effect of visuo-spatial stimuli on speed based on the optic flow. While developing an adaptive infrastructure measure to reduce speed, we conducted two consecutive studies, a driving simulator study and a field test to investigate findings further. In both studies, we placed lights on two sides of a highway exit and either illuminated them statically or activated them in a way that they appeared to be moving towards the driver. We expected drivers to slow down more when seeing static light stimuli compared to a baseline without lights. We also expected drivers to decrease speed more in conditions with oncoming lights compared to a baseline, and to static lights, due to distorted speed perception. The first study in a static driving simulator revealed no difference between conditions. In the field test, both static lights and lights moving towards the driver led to a speed reduction compared to a baseline but did not differ from one another. Lights in general led to lower driving speed, potentially due to their warning character, but we found no difference between the light conditions, suggesting that the effect might not be based on the optic flow. Future research should investigate the relationship between driven and perceived speed more closely.     

Effect of design factors on drivers’ understanding of variable message signs locating traffic events

BackgroundThis article addresses how to combine three elements (a pictogram, an arrow, a city) in a variable message sign (VMS) to locate temporary events (e.g., “congestion before Milan”). We adopted the G1c stack model as a design template, an Advanced Directional Sign (ADS) recommended by the 1968 Convention to locate cities, which can be easily adapted to modern VMS. However, as most of the VMS in operation are not full-matrix, we have also adapted this design to more restrictive display conditions. This adaptation critically concerned the arrow function on the message that either points up broadly (generically, as in G1c) or connects with the city more specifically (explicit). Although G1c reads top-down like a verbal text, previous studies indicated drivers’ preference for bottom-up landmark order in VMS, so both ordering criteria were compared in the present study.MethodsThe experiment involved 99 people (70 drivers and 29 drivers in training). Participants were informed that they would see various VMS reporting certain events (e.g., congestion) related to one of four cities along the road. Their task was to identify the event location (before, after the city) after seeing blocks of two consecutive messages (first a complementary message, then the target message), limiting their response to the content of the second message. Three design-focused factors were tested: typographical alignment (left or centre), landmark order (bottom-up or top-down), and arrow function (explicit or generic). The rate of correct location answers was the dependent variable.ResultsResults revealed that comprehension varied greatly depending on the arrow’s function and the placing of elements. In the explicit-arrow messages, comprehension was good both in the Top-down and Bottom-up conditions, but in the generic-arrow messages, only in the Bottom-up condition was comprehension good. Likewise, understanding was better in the Before condition than in the After condition in all combinations of Landmark order and Arrow function conditions. In general, left alignment of the central column elements of the VMS improved comprehension respective to centred alignment. Finally, the complementary message factor had an effect under certain circumstances.Practical implicationsThe messages displaying a generic arrow (following the G1c model) were better understood when the landmarks were ordered bottom-up, not top-down. In addition, explicit-arrow messages were better understood per se (in the absence of a complementary message) than generic-arrow messages. Overall, this work suggests that improving our understanding of how thought processes and design features relate to each other can contribute to safer driving nationally and internationally.     

Behavioral shifts after a fatal rapid transit accident: A multinomial logit model

The Washington, DC Metrorail collision in 2009 presents a rare opportunity to study rapid transit passengers’ responses to a highly publicized rail incident entailing injuries and fatalities. To investigate behavioral responses to the accident, particularly mode shifts, we conducted a web-based survey of approximately 300 commuters traveling on Metrorail after the accident who had used Metrorail in the 6 months prior to the collision. The most common response to the accident was avoidance of the first and last train cars. Some respondents substituted some Metrorail trips with other modes or took fewer Metrorail trips. To investigate factors influencing these behavioral responses, we employ multinomial logit models to explore the statistical association between respondent and travel characteristics and the choice among the options of (1) making no changes, (2) avoiding certain seating locations, (3) changing modes of transportation, and (4) changing both seating locations and modes of transportation. Results suggest that travel inertia, specifically mode inertia, exists, in that respondents generally prefer not to make mode or travel choice changes. However, some mode characteristics, such as cost differences and frequent delays have a statistically significant association with mode switching. Gender and the presence of children in the household correlate with the option selected.     

职业司机中重度鼾症、嗜睡的流行情况及与交通事故的关系研究

对承德市449名职业司机进行问卷调查,了解中重度鼾症和嗜睡的流行情况,明确其与交通事故的关系.结果显示中重度鼾症患病率为20.9％,嗜睡患病率为12.2％,中重度鼾症司机[相对比值比(OR) =7.714,95％可信区间(95％CI)4.173～14.259]引发交通事故的风险是无中重度鼾症司机的7.71倍,嗜睡司机引发交通事故的风险是无嗜睡司机的2.14倍[OR=2.138,95％CI 1.044～4.379],中重度鼾症和嗜睡分别是交通事故的独立危险因素(P值均＜0.05).职业司机中重度鼾症、嗜睡的患病率较高,是引发交通事故的重要因素,需引起国家有关行政部门的重视和干预.     

Hand Grip and Load Force Coordination of the Ipsilesional Hand of Chronic Stroke Individuals

Object manipulation depends on a refined control of grip force (GF) and load force (LF). After a brain injury, the GF control is altered in the paretic hand but what happens with the non-paretic hand is still unclear. In this study, we compared the GF control and GF–LF coordination of the non-paretic hand of 10 stroke individuals who suffered right brain damage (RBD) and 10 who suffered left brain damage (LBD), with 20 healthy individuals during lifting and oscillation task, using an instrumented object. GF was recorded with a force transducer, and LF was estimated from the object weight and acceleration. Overall, the ipsilesional hand of stroke individuals, independent of the lesion side, presented similar GF control and GF–LF coordination. However, LBD individuals took longer to start lifting the object, which may be due to the need of more time to obtain somatosensory information from the contact with the object. The findings indicate that stroke individuals preserve their ability to control and coordinate GF and LF when using their ipsilesional hand for object manipulation and the left hemisphere may play an essential role in the processing of somatosensory information needed for the GF control.     

The effect of context and drivers’ age on highway traffic signs comprehension

Background: Comprehension of traffic signs is crucial to safety. Objectives: To test the effects of the presentation condition (with or without driving context) on symbolic based road signs comprehension and comprehension time for young and older drivers. Method: 50 young drivers and 50 older drivers were presented with images of 28 Israeli road signs, both without context (with a white background) and in context (with the driving surrounding). Data were collected on the accuracy of signs meaning and on the time it took the participants to provide the meaning. Results: Younger drivers performed significantly better than older drivers on both accuracy and response time (RT). Older drivers’ average RT was approximately twice as long as younger drivers’ RT. However, the presentation mode (with or without context) did not affect sign comprehension of either group, but the presence of the context did increase the time it took the drivers to comprehend the sign’s meaning. In addition, correct response time was similar to opposite to sign’s meaning response time. Implications: Older drivers, can benefit from retraining in sign comprehension of current signage. The training should involve signs in their natural road environment to reduce comprehension time while actually driving. Moreover, signs that were understood as having an opposite meaning should be redesigned or be accompanied by text.     

Me have a traffic accident? The effects of core self-evaluations on the perceived likelihood and perceived undesirability of traffic accidents

Problem: The aim of this article was to demonstrate the influence of “Core Self-Evaluations” (CSEs) on the perception which drivers have of the occurrence of a “traffic accident”, in particular the evaluation of its likelihood, of the personal control exercised and its undesirability (attitude). More generally, this article introduces the concept of CSE in the field of driver psychology and discusses its relevance. Method: 201 French drivers replied to a questionnaire measuring CSEs, the perceived likelihood of having an accident, attitude and perceived personal control. Results and discussion: The more positively drivers evaluated themselves, the more they judged that they were in control and that accidents were unlikely. Drivers with a negative self-evaluation had an attitude more negative than drivers with positive CSEs solely when they judged the accident as unlikely. This positive correlation between attitude and perceived likelihood for drivers with negative CSEs could be viewed as the result of “wishful thinking” or “rationalisation” modes of reasoning. For these drivers a positive relationship was also observed between driving experience and perceived personal control, the latter thus cancelling out the effect of CSEs. This result suggest that with experience self-evaluation as a driver becomes positive and compensates for the effect of a negative general self-evaluation on perceived personal control and perceived likelihood. Practical implications: Using and adapting the Experience-Based Analysis technique for each group of drivers (positive or negative CSEs) is recommended, as well as implementing interventions that triggers drivers’ awareness of CSEs influence and that promote their self-regulating skills.