Conference Proceeding

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

Authors: , , ,

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.

Keywords:

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). doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/drivingassessment.1551