The study evaluated the effect of three types of driver-side, exterior mirrors on drivers' response times for detection of cars at near distances in the left adjacent lane. The mirrors were a flat mirror, a convex mirror, and a multiradius mirror. All mirrors were of the same size and reflectivity. The drivers' visual field in the mirrors extended diagonally to the left about 20 degrees for the flat mirror, 28 degrees for the convex mirror, and 40 degrees for the multiradius mirror. Consequently, there was a large blind spot using the flat mirror, a smaller blind spot using the convex mirror, but no blind spot using the multiradius mirror. The primary task was to respond as quickly as possible to the presence or absence of a car in a photograph projected on a large screen behind the subject. (A secondary, loading task involved compensatory tracking.) The subjects responded by pushing one of two response buttons, depending on the presence or absence of the car. Time was measured from the onset of the photograph's appearance to the subject's response. The main result is that the response times were shortest when using the multiradius mirror and longest when using the flat mirror. This was the case for younger and older subjects, as well as for American and Swedish subjects.
Response Times Using Flat, Convex, and Multiradius Rearview Mirrors
1992
31 pages
Report
No indication
English
Transportation Safety , Road Transportation , Human Factors Engineering , Driving simulation research , Driver reaction time , Driver simulation research , Rearview mirrors , Visual evoked reaction , Driver task analysis , Test facilities , Accident prevention , Driving simulation , Convex mirrors , Interior rearview mirrors , Driver performance , Reaction time , Reflexes , Plane mirrors , Rear visibility
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