IMPACT OF ROAD TRAFFIC ON DRIVER REACTION TIME

Abstract

The main problem of driving safety in the dark for drivers is the recognition of elements of the traffic situation. Changes in the characteristics of visual perception are due to changes in illumination, brightness of the color contrast of important and significant for the driver stimuli during movement. It is the recognition of existing obstacles in terms of contrast and brightness that is the biggest problem for drivers. When driving at night, drivers are prone to dazzle, they are less able to distinguish colors, and the field of view is significantly reduced. The availability of technical means for regulating traffic in accordance with road conditions and pedestrian traffic in the dark are the main means that allow the driver to navigate while driving. The driver's reaction time to the appearance of danger is decisive in the event of conflict situations in the dark. Driver reaction time is an important indicator of road safety. The reaction time is constantly changing and depends on many factors of working conditions, the functional state of the driver. Working conditions cause fatigue and emotional stress. The change in reaction time depends on the state of health, the intake of certain medications, the state of drug and alcohol intoxication, etc. In addition, a person's age, gender and experience also affect the reaction time. A simpler and more effective method for studying the distribution of reaction time and patterns of change is the use of an individual car with recording equipment. It has been proven that car drivers can keep their distance, brake synchronously and maintain braking force in accordance with the leading car braking and being in front. Therefore, to study the parameters of movement along the route, we used the device racelogic "VideoVbox". Experimental studies on city streets at night have been carried out, have shown the relationship between the driver's reaction time and traffic conditions. The study involved drivers between the ages of 20 and 40. As a result, regularities were obtained for the change in the reaction time under different lighting conditions and the traffic load factor of the streets. It has been found that with a low load factor, the driver is more likely to be distracted and has a worse reaction time. The optimal load for the driver is a load factor ranging from 0.35-0.55 with the best response times. The constructed model of the driver's reaction time can be used in expert practice to establish the circumstances of the occurrence of road accidents.