TY - CHAP

T1 - Go ahead - I will follow you!

T2 - social pull-factors in driving manoeuvres

AU - Seidenstücker, Jessica

AU - Roidl, Ernst

AU - Höger, Rainer

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - In Germany more than 26% of all road accidents outside towns involving personal injury occurred in curves and thereby 1,322 people died. This study concentrated on a person's steering abilities and velocity in curves with regard to social risk factors precipitated by social pressure from other road users. The assumption is that drivers orient themselves toward the driving characteristics of the preceding car (pullhypothesis). Thirty-nine participants (divided in groups of low/highly experienced drivers) participated in a simulator-based study using a rural road scenario. Two conditions were simulated: a sharp bend with (1) and without (2) a fast vehicle in front of the participant.The results showed that the speed of the preceding vehicle is principally contributory to the total number of accidents (e.g. car going off the road). The comparison between the two conditions indicated that accidents occur significantly more often in the first condition. Furthermore the results indicate that less experienced drivers produce more accidents than experienced drivers. This result led to the conclusion that the ability to steer in curves may underlie a social pull-effect. This social pulleffect is caused by their adjusting to the inappropriate speed of the preceding car, regardless of the possible dangers within the road scenario.

AB - In Germany more than 26% of all road accidents outside towns involving personal injury occurred in curves and thereby 1,322 people died. This study concentrated on a person's steering abilities and velocity in curves with regard to social risk factors precipitated by social pressure from other road users. The assumption is that drivers orient themselves toward the driving characteristics of the preceding car (pullhypothesis). Thirty-nine participants (divided in groups of low/highly experienced drivers) participated in a simulator-based study using a rural road scenario. Two conditions were simulated: a sharp bend with (1) and without (2) a fast vehicle in front of the participant.The results showed that the speed of the preceding vehicle is principally contributory to the total number of accidents (e.g. car going off the road). The comparison between the two conditions indicated that accidents occur significantly more often in the first condition. Furthermore the results indicate that less experienced drivers produce more accidents than experienced drivers. This result led to the conclusion that the ability to steer in curves may underlie a social pull-effect. This social pulleffect is caused by their adjusting to the inappropriate speed of the preceding car, regardless of the possible dangers within the road scenario.

KW - Business psychology

M3 - Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

SP - 305

EP - 315

BT - Human factors, security and safety

A2 - Waard, Dick de

A2 - Godthelp, Hans

A2 - Kooi, Frank

A2 - Brookhuis, Karel

PB - Shaker Verlag

CY - Maastricht

ER -