thematic priority web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme María Alonso Human Factors Department, CIDAUT Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST (27-28th June 07) Human Factors in Road Infrastructure Design

thematic priority 2 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Human error Everyone commits mistakes

thematic priority 3 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Human error

thematic priority 4 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Human error 90-95% of all road accidents have HUMAN ERROR as a component (Treat, 1977)

thematic priority 5 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Human error  Treat (1977, et al.) performed a 5 year study that examined the causes of 2258 automobile accidents. Human error was the sole factor in 57% and a contributing factor in 92.6%.  Treat et al. further found that of accidents caused by human error, perceptual error was involved in 90% and response error in only 10%. If these results generalize to the other studies, then perceptual error is an important factor in over 80% of all automobile accidents.

thematic priority 6 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Human error  Do not blame the driver! Not unsafe driver but unsafe system > investigate the traffic system

thematic priority 7 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Human Factors  Performance limitations Human performance fails if conditions exceed its tolerance limits Sensation and perception Information processing Memory Decision making Fatigue Alcohol Drugs Emotion Stress Personality

thematic priority 8 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Human Factors  Examples of degraded performance: ▫ Diminished ability to concentrate ▫ Increase in judgement errors ▫ Increase in failed detection of critical events ▫ Needless risk-taking ▫ …  Human Factors may be defined as the technology concerned with the analysis and optimisation of the relationship between people and their activities, by the integration of human sciences and engineering in systematic applications, in consideration for cognitive aspects and socio-technical working contexts… (Cacciabue, P.C., 2004) Human Factors

thematic priority 9 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 DVE system Vehicle Environment Driver

thematic priority 10 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Road infrastructure  Road infrastructure > drivers - environment interface  information as a guide for drivers’ activity and their interactions with other road users through: ▫ road elements ▫ the environmental context (Saad, F., 2002) Vehicle Environment  Road  Roadside  Weather & Traffic conditions Driver  State  Personality  Task demand… influence on

thematic priority 11 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 HCD  Human – Centred Design needed by  both engineers (knowledge of the traffic system and previous actuations) and traffic psychologists (understanding of human performance and behaviour) User Centred Design (UCD) approach, ISO needs preferences expectations DRIVER capabilities

thematic priority 12 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 SER  Self – Explaining Roads How could the infrastructure support driver’s activity?  Adoption of homogeneous and consistent design principles that take account of the different tasks to be performed by the various road users and the constraints on their execution. ‘Positive guidance’ ‘Road readability’

thematic priority 13 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 RANKERS experimental work RANKERS experiments

thematic priority 14 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07  Experiment 1  Road layout vs. driver performance  Experiment 2  Road signs vs. driver perception and situation awareness RANKERS experimental work 1 2 2

thematic priority 15 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 1  Objective:  Road layout VS. Driver performance  Analyse speed variation as a function of radius of curvature, taking into account other variables which also influence driver’s choice of speed: curve direction, roadside environment. How do drivers approach a curve? At which speeds? When do they start to react to it? Braking or releasing gas pedal? How do they behave along the curve? Curve negotiation

thematic priority 16 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 1  Scenario  AP-66 motorway (León - Campomanes) PICTURES

thematic priority 17 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 1  Experimental vehicle

thematic priority 18 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 1  In-depth exploration, expert analysis  Experts drive session for road inspection

thematic priority 19 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 1  Field Studies: experimental design - Variables - Independent variable IV Dependent variable DV Control variables and co-variables Radius of curvature Large Driver performance measures - Speed - Gas/Brake pedals - Lateral acceleration - Longitudinal acceleration - SWA Gender Male SmallFemale Road familiarity Yes No Driving Experience ≤ 5000 km/year ≥ 5000 km/year Curve direction Left-hand Right-hand

thematic priority 20 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 1  Field tests Video – test example

thematic priority 21 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 2  Objective:  Analyse road sign features (design, content, amount) in terms of their adaptation to road environment, traffic situation and driver needs. Can drivers perceive certain road signs? Can they interpret them? Is the number of signs appropriate? Are them visible?

thematic priority 22 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 2  Scenario  AP-15 motorway (Tudela - Irurtzun)

thematic priority 23 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 2  First exploratory phase  Experts drive session for road inspection  Video recording

thematic priority 24 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 2  In-depth exploration, expert analysis  Analysis of encountered problems

thematic priority 25 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 Experiment 2  Users Tests  Subjective analysis of significant aspects of traffic signs ▫ 20 subjects: − Gender: Male & Female − Age: > 25 years − Experience: > km driven ▫ Tools: − Driving profile questionnaire − Traffic signs questionnaire

thematic priority 26 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07  General aspects: ▫ Indication ▫ Shape ▫ Colour ▫ Reinforced message ▫ Highlighted features ▫ Obstacles ▫ Is this sign necessary? ▫ Could this sign cause distraction? ▫ Appropriate frequency  Assessment of traffic features: ▫ Location ▫ Size & shape ▫ Colour vs. Environment ▫ Text ▫ Symbols and Icons ▫ Typography ▫ Amount of information ▫ Contrast ▫ Distribution of contents  Traffic signs questionnaire Global assessment: 1-5 Experiment 2

thematic priority 27 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07  Experiment 1 Road layout vs. driver performance  Experiment 2 Road signs vs. driver perception & situation awareness Results Recommendations + Best practices RANKING OF RECOMMENDATIONS RSI eBook

thematic priority 28 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 What to avoid?

thematic priority 29 web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Road Safety Engineering Seminar BUDAPEST, 28 / 06 / 07 What to encourage?

thematic priority web sustainable surface transport sixth framework programme Thanks for your attention! Human Factors in Road Infrastructure Design