Conference Proceeding

The Effects of PC-Based Training on Novice Drivers' Risk Awareness in a Driving Simulator

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Abstract

Novice drivers are almost nine times more likely to die in a crash thanmore experienced drivers. This increased risk has been found to be largely due tonovice drivers’ inability to predict the risks in the roadway ahead. A PC-basedRisk Awareness and Perception Training Program (RAPT) was developed toteach novice drivers about different categories of risky situations likely to beencountered while driving. The format was an interactive multimedia presentationwith both plan (i.e., top down) views and perspective views of roadway geometrythat illustrated generally risky scenarios along with information about the type ofrisks and the relevant areas that attention should be allocated to in order to detectthe risks. A set of novice drivers was trained with this program. The eyemovementsof the participants were then evaluated in a driving simulator todetermine whether areas of potential risk were fixated, and their performance wascompared to a separate set of untrained novice drivers. The ability of the novicedrivers to identify risks in static views improved after they completed the trainingprogram. More importantly, the trained novice drivers were significantly morelikely to correctly fixate on risk relevant areas in the simulated drivingenvironment than the untrained drivers 3-5 days after training.

How to Cite:

Pradhan, A. & Fisher, D. & Pollatsek, A., (2005) “The Effects of PC-Based Training on Novice Drivers' Risk Awareness in a Driving Simulator”, Driving Assessment Conference 3(2005), 81-87. doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/drivingassessment.1146

Rights: Copyright © 2005 the author(s)