"Improve Driver and Vehicle Together"
Page 63
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Contributions by Medical and Traffic Experts to Discussions on Papers Read to Ergonomics Research Society : British Drivers Praised
IT is probable that no. series of papers on road transport has been propounded and discussed at a higher intellectual level than that which pertained to the symposium of the Ergonomics Research Society in Bristol last week. The symposium had the shortcomings of an academic approach. but the participation ' of practical research workers gave validity to many of the claims made, and provided the leaven of functional application to theoretical analysis..
The question whether it was preferable to attempt an improvement of the driver or the vehicle was a highlight of the discussion following the paper, " Research on Human Factors in .Road Transport," read by Mr. G. Grime of the Road Research Laboratory,
Preferable Effort
Dr. R. C. Browne, University of Durham, was emphatic that it was preferable to apply the effort to what fie termed the " mechanical environment" of the driver—which included the roads—rather than to the man Ii imself.
It was, he said, comparatively easy to select and reject human beings with regard to their suitability as drivers, and because no particular effort was required for selection, a dangerous situation could arise.
Mr. Grime, in reply, said that selection could be applied only to drivers of commercial vehicles, who formed a small proportion of the total. It would, he said, be necessary to improve both the man and machine together.
Road improvements would not solve the accident problem, They would 'reduce the number of accidents per vehicle-mile, but there would be a greater number of vehicles on the road.
The suggestion was made by Dr. 0. G. Edholm, Division of Human Physiology, M.R.C., National Institute of Medical Research, that increasing traffic density reduced the number of accidents. Mr. Grime, however, contended that higher traffic density increased the number of accidents but the death-injury ratio was smaller. This was shown by the ratio of the number of pedestrians killed to those injured in urban areas, which was I to 24, compared with a ratio of l to 10 in rural districts.
Dr. W. F. Floyd, of the Middlesex Hospital. produced specimen statistics w-hich showed that collisions occurred far more frequently between vehicles
avelling in the same direction than between those moving in opposite direc
tions. Such statistics, he said, should he studied by driving instructors and taken into account when giving advice to learne rs.
Undue simplification of controls was criticized by Mr. L. Hudson, of the Central Electricity Authority, on the ground that it reduced the instructional period to the detriment of the drivers' experience as a learner. Mr. Grime replied that there might be a basis of truth in this assertion but, he added, he did not consider that it carried much weight.
Dr. Browne was of the opinion that drivers could not acquire road sense until they had covered from 5,000 to 10,000 miles. Suggestions made by speakers included the plea that pedestrians and cyclists should be the first to receive training, and another delegate said that an investigation should be made of the effects that a change in average speeds of, say, plus or minus 20 per cent., would have on industry.
In praise of British drivers, Prof. G. Lehmann, of Dortmund, said that they were much more careful than German drivers and w this he attributed the lower accident figures in this country than in his own.
Following the reading of a number of short papers, Mr. Grime, answering a number of questions, said that in his opinion any increase in the speed limit of commercial vehicles should be coupled with stricter regulations regarding the efficiency of the brakes. Those on many vehicles were in poor condition.
Speed Limits
If proper trunk roads were built, there would be no reason why all vehicles should not travel at the same legal speed. No increase should, however, be allowed in the towns.
Dr. L. G. Norman, London Transport Executive, said that good training represented the best method of reducing accidents and that the use, at night, of coloured spectacles of any type was dangerous. Both these views received unanimous support, but Mr. Grime emphasized that improved conditions, such as the proper treatment of slippery surfaces, could also have favourable results.
Another speaker referred to the need for better signposting of the highways. and it was agreed that the approach to the problem should be "dynamic," because of the high speeds attained by all classes of vehicle. Existing signs were frequently situated too high to be
easily read without distraction, and were frequently located too close to the intersection or obstruction, whichever applied.
It was claimed generally that a flat mirror was preferable to the curved type for use inside the cab to give a reflection free from distortion. A curved mirror was necessary on the outside to increase the field of vision.
Dr. Floyd' criticized some road surfaces because they appeared in the dark, and under sodium street lighting, to be wet. This, he said, should be investigated. Mr. Grime agreed and said that the tendency to provide shadowless lighting had drawbacks. It could, for instance, make the kerb invisible, and it eliminated many forms of black and white contrast that prove valuable aids to driving.
Replying to my claim that heavy commercial vehicles generally provided better visibility from the cab than private cars, Mr. R. A. Fosberry, Motor Industry Research Association, said that it was comparatively easy to provide good vision if the cab was coach-built and did not have a low roof-line. The forward view from a commercial vehicle cab was, he agreed, less obscured, but the view to the rear was often poor and there was a common lack of. a second windscreen wiper.
. The need for a driver's adjustable seat for all types of vehicle was emphasized by Mr. G. M. Morant. The height of the seat, he said, should be variable by at least 6 in.
Diurnal Rhytluns Commenting on the paper which dealt with fatigue, read by Mr. H. Y. Groenewegen, Dr. Edholm suggested that diurnal rhythms had a pronounced effect art a driver's resistance to fatigue. When there was a change from daywork to night-work; the latter might be performed with the day-Work rhythm.
The two papers on the effects of alcohol, one by Prof. G. C. Drew and the other by Dr. L. Goldberg, aroused great interest, but the discussions were mainly concerned with the liner• points of medical analysis. Prof. Drew said that the most important conclusion regarding small doses of' alcohol Was that the driver tended to handle his vehicle erratically with fairly wide variations of speed and brake applications.
For example, he tended to defer application of the brakes on some occasions and on others to apply them more violently. Only in the case of neurotic drivers did alcohol appear to have a favourable effect. In the majority of cases it exaggerated normal tendencies: A slow driver reduced his speed after consuming alcohol, whilst a fast driver drove at ,a. higher speed.
The inadequate facilities for accommodating drivers of various heights formed the main subject of the discussion on "Human Limitations and Vehicle Design." This paper was read • D13 by Dr. C. H. Wood in the absence of