APA Citation: Muttart, J., Fisher, D., Kauderer, C., Bartlett, W., Peck, L., Guderian, S., Ton, L., & Muttart, M. (2011). Influence of riding experience on glance behavior, brake response time and deceleration rates by drivers and motorcyclists. Proceedings of the Sixth International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design, 258–264.
Introduction
Between 2004 and 2008, while total fatal crashes in the U.S. declined by 11.5%, fatal motorcycle crashes saw a significant increase of 31.4%. This study investigated the crash avoidance behaviors of skilled riders, comparing their performance when operating a car versus a motorcycle. The research aimed to identify differences in attention maintenance (staying focused on the road), hazard anticipation (noticing potential threats), and risk mitigation (braking and deceleration). Specifically, the researchers sought to determine if age and years of licensing influenced these behaviors, providing data to improve training curricula.
Methodology
The study utilized a within-subject repeated measure design involving 23 participants (17 males, 6 females) ranging in age from 20 to 69. Participants were categorized by age (under or over 25) and years of licensing (under four years or five-plus years). Each participant operated both a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 650R and a 2009 Dodge Charger on the same low-volume, two-mile open road course.
Data collection involved:
- Eye-Tracking: Participants wore ASL MobileEye glasses to record glance behaviors.
- Instrumentation: Both vehicles were equipped with accelerometers and GPS; string potentiometers monitored brake and accelerator displacement.
- Hazard Simulation: An experimenter in a lead vehicle triggered red LEDs on the participant’s windshield to signal an emergency stop.
- Procedure: After a sighting lap, participants completed four data collection laps per vehicle, encountering intersections and straight road segments designed to test specific glance patterns and braking responses.
Results
The study revealed that riders often adopt higher-risk behaviors when on a motorcycle compared to when they are driving a car:
- Glance Behavior: When riding, participants spent significantly more time glancing off-road (21.8% vs. 8.1% in a car) and made more frequent glances at the pavement immediately ahead of them.
- Hazard Anticipation: Motorcyclists made 18% fewer glances toward the most threatening traffic direction before entering an intersection compared to their behavior as drivers. Some riders failed to look for conflicting traffic for up to five seconds before turning.
- Braking and Deceleration: Motorcyclists generally decelerated less aggressively (0.44 Gs) than they did as drivers (0.55 Gs).
- Age and Experience: Younger motorcyclists (under 25) were significantly slower to react to hazards, requiring nearly one additional second of brake response time compared to older riders or drivers. Younger participants and experienced riders showed similar deceleration rates, while experienced drivers decelerated most sharply.
These findings suggest that training should specifically target attention maintenance and hazard anticipation to ensure riders make critical “last glances” at traffic instead of focusing primarily on the road surface.
References
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2008). Fatal Accident Reporting System. Washington, D.C.: Retrieved May 10, 2010, http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/ncsa/fars.html.
- Fisher, D. L. (2008). Evaluation of PC-Based Novice Driver Risk Awareness. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Klauer, S.G., Dingus, T. A., Neale, V. L., Sudweeks, J.D., and Ramsey, D.J. (2006). The Impact of Driver Inattention on Near-Crash/Crash Risk: An Analysis Using the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study Data. DOT HS 810 594, Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Nagayama, Y., et al. (1979). Motorcyclists’ visual scanning pattern in comparison with automobile drivers’. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers, 790262.
- Pradhan, A.K., Hammel, K.R., DeRamus, R., Pollatsek, A., Noyce, D.A., & Fisher, D.L. (2005). The use of eye movements to evaluate the effects of driver age on risk perception in an advanced driving simulator. Human Factors, 47, 840–852.
Analogy for Understanding: Operating a motorcycle compared to a car is like a juggler moving from a stage to a tightrope. While the juggler (the driver/rider) knows how to keep the balls (traffic hazards) in the air, the added complexity of the tightrope (motorcycle stability and road surface) causes them to look down at their feet more often, occasionally losing track of the objects moving around them in the air.
