Conference Proceeding

Investigating the Interaction between Helmet Field of View and Steering Behavior in a Novel Motorcycle Simulator

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Abstract

While helmet wearing reduces the severity of injuries in motorcycle crashes, it may also increase the likelihood of getting involved into a traffic accident through a reduction in the rider’s field of view. We thus investigated the perceptual effects of helmet wearing when riding a motorcycle. The task consisted of negotiating curves in a fixed-based simulator while the helmet visor vertical dimension and need to check the handlebar-mounted speedometer were manipulated. Decreasing the vertical aperture below roughly 30 deg significantly impaired a rider’s ability to maintain their lane position and speed; with the effect of aperture being significantly greater when speedometer checking was required. The present findings provide further support for near/far point models of steering and help to quantify the tradeoff between physical and perceptual effects in helmet design.

How to Cite:

Morice, A., Sevrez, V., Gray, R. & Montagne, G., (2015) “Investigating the Interaction between Helmet Field of View and Steering Behavior in a Novel Motorcycle Simulator”, Driving Assessment Conference 8(2015), 57-62. doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/drivingassessment.1551

Rights: Copyright © 2015 the author(s)