Hazard Perception Research Articles

The lasting effect of the Romantic view of nature: How it influences perceptions of risk and the support of symbolic actions against climate change.

Culture can have a major impact on how we perceive different hazards. In the Romantic period, nature was described and portrayed as mysterious and benevolent. A deep connection to nature was perceived as important. We proposed that this romantic view would be positively related to people's risk perceptions of man-made hazards and, more specifically, to concerns about climate change. Further, we hypothesized that the Romantic perception of nature leads to a biased perception of natural hazards and that the moral component of action is of particular importance above and beyond the mere efficacy of the action. We conducted an online survey in Germany (N=531), a country where Romanticism had a very widespread influence. The study shows that individuals with a Romantic view of nature perceived greater risks associated with climate change than those without such a view. In addition, those with a Romantic view of nature were more likely to support measures to reduce the risks of climate change, even when it is said that such measures are not effective. Finally, the study found a significantly higher positive correlation between Romantic views of nature and risk perceptions of man-made versus natural hazards. The results suggest that ideas developed during the Romantic era continue to influence hazard perception in Germany.

Risk perceptions and risk behavior among children attending a road safety education program in Greece

Abstract Background Road Traffic Injuries (RTI’s) are a significant public health concern for children, placing a considerable burden on their well-being. Greece has consistently recorded high numbers of RTI’s among adolescents. Methods A university lab (LaHeRS, HMU) offers a road safety education program for primary and secondary students in Heraklion, Greece. The program consists of two parallel sessions (practical training using a driving simulator and activity-based risk-perception training) aimed at enhancing competencies in resilience to peer influence, empowering children to engage in informed decision-making and fostering hazard perceptions skills. The current presentation reports on 800 students who attended the program between October 2023 and April 2024. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on student’s beliefs, attitudes and practices on road safety. Results A total of 800 students attended the program from the broader Crete Region. 50.5% were girls with a mean age of 12.6 (SD = 2.3) years, 60.9% secondary education students, 58% resided in rural areas. 33.9% reported using a motorcycle and 33.8% a car without a driving license. 23.3% reported experiencing a road traffic incident while commuting. 57.1% identified road safety as a problem in their place of residence, only 26.5% felt safe on local streets and only 9.1% considered other road users as watchful. Additionally, 66.8% highly valued helmet use as a precaution in short distances. 71.6% reported always wearing seatbelt in front seats and 68.9% thought seatbelts are important at back seats. 52.1% did not identify themselves as risk takers on the street, and only 22.5% felt competent in avoiding road risks. 32.9% admitted experiencing peer pressure while commuting. Conclusions Risk taking behaviors and low use of protective measures are prevalent among school aged children and need to be addressed through targeted road safety education programs and interventions. Key messages • Promoting safe behaviors and enhancing risk perception is critical among children and young adolescents. • Road safety education should be integrated into school curricula, starting from pre-school education.

Survey instructions bias perceptions of environmental health risks

A basic function of government is to manage environmental risks. This requires measurement of how the public perceive different risks, but it is hard to measure risk perceptions in a neutral, unbiased way. In a pre-registered experiment with a nationally representative sample (N = 800), we tested the effects of survey instructions on perceived risk from common environmental health hazards. Participants were randomised to read instructions that made salient a relatively unfamiliar hazard (electromagnetic fields; EMFs), a familiar hazard (carbon monoxide) or no hazard (i.e. that the study was about environmental health risks in general) before rating the perceived risks of a series of hazards. Results revealed an asymmetric salience effect. Instructions that highlighted EMFs elicited higher perceived risk from EMFs, while perceptions of other hazards were unaffected. Instructions that made carbon monoxide salient did not affect perceptions of carbon monoxide, but diminished perceived risk from other hazards. Effects were observed using standard rating scales and via a novel policy budget allocation task. In exploratory analyses, we further tested the relationship between perceived risk as elicited by rating scales and revealed risk perceptions. How often respondents report thinking about a hazard day-to-day best predicted choices in a hypothetical budget task and self-reported mitigative behaviour, when controlling for other dimensions of perceived risk, such as perceived severity of the consequences of exposure. The results have implications for designing surveys to measure perceived risk of environmental health hazards.

A deep reinforcement learning framework for achieving super-human hazard perception in autonomous driving agents

Modeling driver behavior can significantly improve autonomous vehicles and intelligent driver assistance/training systems. Hazard perception (HP) is an essential driving skill for preventing driving accidents in potentially dangerous traffic situations. HP is not a Markov decision process, so modeling HP with reinforcement learning techniques is challenging. We introduce a framework for modeling HP scenarios using the soft actor-critic approach. Then, we use this framework to model HP in the emergence of a critical lateral hazard onto the road. The dual environments – the mirror environment for training and the target environment for usage – accelerate the learning process. The agent is employed in the target environment using an interpreter algorithm. The results show that the agent learns HP and outperforms the best human results by 2.6%. The training is implemented 40 times faster in the mirror environment. Evaluation tests show a driving experience similar to real-world scenarios rather than gaming simulations.

Pilot Study on Gaze Characteristics of Older Drivers While Watching Driving Movies.

Objective: This study aims to clarify the gazing characteristics of older drivers while driving cars using a gaze analysis device. Methods: The participants included 16 older and 12 middle-aged drivers who drove cars daily. After conducting cognitive and attentional function tests, eye gaze while watching driving videos was measured using an eye tracker. Ten driving videos were prepared. In addition, a total of 34 hazard areas were analyzed. Results: The results of the gaze measurement parameters were statistically compared between the two groups. In the older group, the gaze analysis results indicated that while viewing driving videos, the search for areas close to the car was expanded. In addition, in several hazard areas, we observed a decrease in the number of drivers gazing at the driver, shortened total gazing time, delay in the timing of gazing, and decrease in the number of visits. Conclusions: Older drivers' eye movement is increased; however, it is characterized by gazing at unimportant areas, indicating an inefficient scanning pattern. Although these results do not indicate an obvious decline in driving ability among older drivers, the decline in hazard perception may become apparent in some situations. The data contain underpowered results and require revalidation in larger studies.

Knowledge and awareness of ketoacidosis associated with high exposure to acetone-containing products: A crosssectional assessment

Purpose: To assess the knowledge and awareness of the Jordanian public about the hazards associated with high levels of exposure to acetone-containing products. Methods: The study was conducted between September 2019 and December 2020. An electronic anonymous questionnaire was distributed via different channels to be self-completed by the study population. Socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge about acetone-containing nail polish removers and sterilizing products, and awareness about the risk of ketoacidosis associated with high degree of exposure to these products, were assessed. Results: The findings revealed that a majority of participants were aware of the presence of acetone in nail polish removers (92.61 %) and sterilizing products (84.41 %), regardless of gender, age, educational type and educational level. In addition, females (70.4 or 83.0 %), youngest age group (70.7 or 83.0 %), those with health-related education (56.6 or 76.0 %), and graduates (72.0 or 83.9 %) were significantly (p < 0.05) more aware about the safety of these products if inhaled or exposed to flame sources, respectively, than their peers. Moreover, concerning the risks of developing ketoacidosis and raised liver ketone levels as hazards associated with the high degree of exposure to acetone-containing products, females (44.2, 41.9 and 50.6 %), those with health-related education (64.1, 63.4 and 73.3 %), youngest age group (47.4, 44.6 and 56.5 %), and graduates (45.3, 43.5 and 52.8 %), respectively, were significantly more aware than the others (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These findings indicate signs of significantly poor awareness about the serious risks associated with acetone-caused ketoacidosis among the study population. Therefore, well-organized educational campaigns are needed to enlighten graduates with health-related education and to improve public perception of the health hazards associated with human exposure to acetone-containing products.

Development of hazard prediction test and interventions for two-wheeled electric vehicle riders in China

Objective This paper aimed to develop a hazard prediction test and enhance two-wheeled electric vehicle (TWEV) riders’ hazard perception and prediction capabilities via interventions by executing two distinct studies. Study 1 aimed to develop and validate a hazard prediction test. Study 2 evaluated the efficacy of two interventions, self-commentary and what happens next (WHN), integrating expert commentary. Method For Study 1, a video-based hazard prediction test was developed through video recording and clipping, with participants categorized into high and low prediction ability groups for experimentation. Data analysis employed the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Study 2 categorized participants into four groups: self-commentary with licenses (SCL), self-commentary without licenses (SCNL), WHN with licenses (WHNL), and WHN without licenses (WHNNL), for conducting a one-week intervention experiment. Data collected from participants’ pre-intervention, post-intervention, and aftereffect tests were subjected to repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results Analysis of the ROC curve indicated the test can distinguish the riders with different hazard prediction levels. ANOVA results demonstrated that the measurement time had a significant positive effect on scores (p < 0.001). Both interventions significantly improved hazard prediction ability (p < 0.05), and the effect persisted one week after administration. The effect of the WHN intervention was significantly greater than the self-commentary method across all time points. Conclusion The hazard prediction test developed in this study could assess riders’ hazard prediction ability, with the identified interventions demonstrating effectiveness in enhancing this ability. These findings suggested potential application in future qualification tests for TWEV riders, contributing to enhanced traffic safety awareness among TWEV riders in China, thus advancing overall traffic safety.

Where's my TOR?: Evaluating the Effect of Take-Over Request Source on Older Drivers' Control Transition in Level 3 Cars

It is challenging for older drivers to transition to manual control after a Take-Over Request (TOR) has been issued by a Level 3 car. This study investigated if the presentation source of the TOR affects driver performance when resuming control. We measured take-over performance, hazard perception, and user acceptance when the TOR was presented on (1) a smartphone displaying a Non-Driving Related Task (NDRT) simultaneously with the In-Vehicle Information System (IVIS), or (2) presented on the IVIS only. Two NDRTs that varied in cognitive demand were tested with older drivers aged 60-69 and 70+. For the lower cognitive demand NDRT, presenting the TOR on the smartphone+IVIS improved takeover performance, hazard perception, and user acceptance, with greater benefits observed in the 70+ group. For the cognitively demanding NDRT, the smartphone+IVIS presentation did not benefit either group of drivers. TOR designers can apply these findings to enhance TORs and assist older drivers in managing control transitions considering the NDRT cognitive demand.

A Quantitative Method of Assessing the Hazard Perception of Drivers in Human–Machine Codriving Vehicles

Hazard perception, as a dynamic indicator, intuitively characterizes drivers’ ability to detect potential hazard events in complex driving environments. However, current quantitative research on the hazard perceptions of drivers in the human–machine codriving phase is lacking. A total of 30 drivers were recruited to carry out a driving simulator experiment, and a total of 8 risky driving scenarios were experienced. The physiological characteristics and eye movement characteristics of the drivers were collected. An expert evaluation method was selected to quantify the situational hazard degree (SHD). The questionnaire was used to collect the drivers’ subjective hazard evaluations (SHEs) of the scenarios. Paired samples t test and correlation analysis were adopted to screen the evaluation indexes of the drivers’ hazard perceptions. A gray near-optimal comprehensive evaluation model was established to quantify the human–machine codrivers’ hazard perceptions in various risky driving scenarios. The results show that the drivers’ SHEs increased with the SHD. The standard deviation of heart rate, mean pupil diameter, and mean fixation duration can be used as evaluation indexes for the human–machine codrivers’ hazard perceptions. The proposed quantitative method is expected to shift the development of human–machine codrivers’ hazard perception from qualitative analysis to quantitative calculation. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for increasing safety in the human–machine codriving phase, improving road safety and reducing the incidence of accidents.

Effects of hazard type on the hazard perceptions of violation-involved and violation-free drivers: An ERP study

ObjectiveHazard perception, which is closely related to crash risk, is the ability to anticipate potential dangers on the road. This study aimed to investigate the effects of drivers’ previous traffic violation history on their neural processing of hazard perception under different hazard types. MethodsA mixed experimental design was employed, involving two groups of drivers (driver group: violation-involved, violation-free) and three types of images (no-hazard image, covert hazard image, overt hazard image). Twenty covert hazard images, 20 overt hazard images and 40 no-hazard images were randomly presented to 19 drivers with previous violation histories and 28 drivers without violations. The participants were asked to detect whether there was a hazardous situation in the images and press the keyboard quickly after detecting one. Response time, response accuracy and changes in the N1 (100–140 ms), N2 (250–300 ms) and P300 (300–400 ms) components of event-related potentials (ERP) were obtained and analysed. ResultsThe response time to the covert hazard images was significantly greater than that to the no-hazard and overt hazard images, and the lower accuracy also revealed that the covert hazard images were harder to detect than the no-hazard and overt hazard images. Under both overt and covert hazard images, the response time of violation-involved drivers was longer, and their accuracy was worse than that of violation-free drivers. The N1 latency of violation-involved drivers was significantly longer than that of violation-free drivers. The amplitude of N2 was significantly larger in the no-hazard image than in the covert and overt hazard images. The P300 amplitude was significantly greater in the overt hazard images than in the covert and no-hazard images. ConclusionViolation-involved drivers have poorer hazard perception abilities than violation-free drivers regardless of hazard type. N1 latency can differ from that of drivers with and without previous violations. These findings provide support for the development of hazard perception training systems for drivers who are prone to traffic violations.

Impact of heavy metal hazard perceptions on pollution control intentions: Empirical evidence from rice farmers in China

Heavy metal pollution presents significant challenges to global sustainable development. The treatment of such pollution predominantly relies on government policies, often neglecting farmers' crucial role in the remediation process. Therefore, this study investigates the driving mechanisms behind farmers' willingness to control heavy metal pollution in farmland. By analyzing survey data from 718 rice farmers in China, this study employs the Probit model to quantitatively assess the impact of farmers' perceptions of heavy metal hazards on their inclination to control pollution in farmland. Additionally, it examines the heterogeneity of these impacts between cultivated rice for domestic consumption and rice for export. The findings reveal the following: (1) Approximately 70% of farmers recognize the harmful effects of heavy metals, but only 66.2% of them express willingness to engage in pollution control measures. (2) More awareness regarding heavy metal hazards corresponds to a stronger intention to control pollution. (3) In addition to hazard perception, households with village cadres demonstrate a significantly positive influence on pollution control intention. (4) There are notable disparities in farmers' attitudes towards retained rice (for domestic consumption) and exported rice, with a greater willingness to implement pollution control measures for retained rice. As such, this study provides valuable insights for informing policy development to address the challenges associated with heavy metal pollution control's complex and limited effects. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the Chinese context as a typical developing country, offering analytical cases that promote global sustainable development while leveraging Chinese wisdom.

Cultural values, risk characteristics, and risk perceptions of controversial issues: How does cultural theory work?

Cultural theory and the psychometric paradigm are two frameworks proposed to explain risk perceptions, mostly used independently of each other. On the one hand, psychometric research identified key characteristics of hazards responsible for their level of perceived riskiness. On the other hand, cultural studies provided evidence that different worldviews lead to divergent perceptions of risk in a way supportive of individuals' cultural values. The purpose of this research was to combine both approaches into mediational models in which cultural values impact risk perceptions of controversial hazards through their influence on the characteristics associated with those hazards. Using data from an online survey completed by 629 French participants, findings indicated specific associations between cultural values and risk characteristics, both of them exhibiting effects on risk perceptions that depend largely on hazardous issues. More specifically, we found that people confer specific characteristics on hazards (common or dreadful, beneficial or costly, affecting few or many people), depending on whether they are hierarchists-individualists, egalitarians, or fatalists; in turn, such characteristics have an impact on the perceived riskiness of hazards such as cannabis, social movement, global warming, genetically modified organisms, nuclear power, public transportation, and coronavirus. Finally, this article discussed the interest of addressing the mechanisms that explain how cultural values shape individuals' perceptions of risk.

Hazard prediction and risky decision-making by drivers affected by non-hemineglect strokes

The stroke survivor’s independence is severely limited if they are prevented from driving, and regaining this ability could be vital to their recovery. Our pioneering study analysed hazard prediction and risky decision-making among drivers who had suffered non-hemineglect strokes. Two groups of experienced drivers were recruited with one group comprising 37 healthy drivers (M = 54.5 years old, SD = 6.59) and the other consisting of 37 drivers who had had non-hemineglect strokes (M = 55.1 years old, SD = 13.7). In terms of lesion location, 59 % (n = 22) had suffered a left-hemisphere injury, 35 % (n = 13) a right-hemisphere injury, and 5 % (n = 2) a bilateral injury. Hemineglect patients were excluded. Participants were shown naturalistic driving video clips which had been recorded from the driver’s point of view. These were filmed both in the participants’ familiar home country (Spain) and also in an unfamiliar country (England). The hazard prediction test showed a number of hazardous situations which were caused by another road user (e.g. an oncoming car invading the lane). Each video clip ended as the hazard began to unfold, and participants had to choose the correct response to identify the hazard, where it occurred, and the likely outcome in that particular traffic situation (situation awareness). In the risky decision-making test, participants were shown video clips whereby the hazards were possibly caused by risky driving behaviour (e.g. driving through a junction with an amber traffic light). The participants were also shown video clips which set up the potential for risky behaviour and they were asked how likely they were to proceed with that risky manoeuvre (e.g. to overtake a cyclist or drive through a junction with an amber traffic light) on a 6-point Likert scale. In the hazard prediction test, a statistically significant group effect was found, with healthy drivers attaining greater accuracy compared to drivers who had suffered a stroke. More specifically, drivers with left-sided strokes had lower hazard prediction accuracy (M = 59.1 %, SD = 16.7) than drivers with right-sided strokes (M = 64.6 %, SD = 11.8) and healthy drivers, who had the highest accuracy percentage (M = 68.6 %, SD = 13.1). Moreover, a significant effect was found regarding familiarity, and driver accuracy in the hazard perception test was found to be greater in the video clips filmed in Spain than those filmed in England. However, the interaction between these factors was not significant. Regarding the risky decision-making test, the only statistically significant effect was with the familiarity of the video clips, whereby drivers displayed a greater disposition to assume risks in the English video clips (unfamiliar driving environment) than in the Spanish clips. Hazard prediction training would be particularly helpful for drivers who had suffered left-hemisphere strokes since it is more difficult for such drivers to process details.

Museum Professionals’ Perceptions of Chemical and Biological Hazards and Risks in Museum Work Environments in Finland

Limited research has explored museum professionals’ perceptions of workplace hazards and risks, despite the presence of various health threats in museum work environments. This study aims to identify perceived chemical and biological hazards and contributing factors in Finnish museum workplaces. Utilizing data from two surveys and qualitative content analysis, it uncovers a range of perceived hazards, often linked to collection storage facilities, historical buildings, and museum collections. Mold, indoor air quality, and dust are central concerns. While recognizing chemical hazards in collections proves challenging, accident-related and ergonomic hazards receive broad recognition. Workplace hazards are perceived to be rooted in systemic and cultural factors, encompassing haphazard management, recurring themes of neglect, limited safety knowledge, and negative attitudes. Enhancing workplace safety in museums necessitates a comprehensive approach, including support and education for leaders and other professionals, improved work practices and storage facilities, and increased budgetary support.

Perceptions of Occupational Health Hazards Among Jordanian Nurses: A cross-Sectional Study

Occupation health pertains to the health of employees in relation with their workplaces, and is aimed at the prevention of job-related injuries and illnesses. However, given the significance of occupational health and the possible adversarial effects of occupational hazards to the nursing team, there is paucity of evidence on the level of awareness, knowledge and attitudes of nurses towards occupational hazards in the workplace. The aim of this study is to measure levels of perceptions of occupational hazards, and to identify relationships and differences on perceptions of occupational hazards based on sociodemographic characteristics, the study employed cross-sectional, descriptive method. A valid and reliable 13-item questionnaire was used to measure perceptions of occupational hazards. Results showed that nurses had high levels of perceptions of occupational hazards. Nurses with longer lengths of work experiences had higher levels of perceptions of occupational hazards than nurses with shorter lengths of work experiences..the study concluded that hospitals should implement strategies that can support nurses in sustaining high levels of perceptions of occupational hazards, and should find ways to retain nurses within the hospital workforce. Future research can examine personal- and organizational-level factors that can impede or facilitate perceptions of occupational hazards, and explore how perceptions of occupational hazards translate to actual injuries sustained at work, quality of workplace environment, quality of work life, job performance, patient satisfaction, and other relevant organizational and clinical outcomes. Keywords: Nurse; Occupational hazards; Perceptions; Jordan

Knowledge, Attitude, and Perceptions (KAP) Of Parents Regarding Risks For Unintentional Childhood Injuries

Background: Unintentional Injuries in childhood can have long-term and short-term impacts on the child and family. As their nature is to be curious about their environment, children tend to have falls and accidents. Parents, being the main caregivers, are responsible for their physical safety. From a research point of view, in a low economic setting such as India, there is knowledge of the prevalence and type of injuries but not the parental perspective. This study attempts to understand the knowledge, perception, and attitude of parents toward the risks of unintentional injuries. Methodology: 191 mothers and 149 fathers completed a survey questionnaire; followed by a demographic and percentage analysis. Results: The current study found that the majority of fathers and mothers agree on similar components of Knowledge and Attitude. However, there was a significant difference in the perception of risk and hazard concerning the severity. Conclusion: This forms the basis for outlining customized programs to equip parents in assisting with the safety aspect of their children. The strengths and limitations are mentioned. The findings have domestic, social, and healthcare policy-level implications.

Using virtual reality for occupational safety and health in a UK tunnelling megaproject

Recent advancements into key technological developments (KTDs) are leading to a paradigm shift in the way that occupational safety and health (OSH) is managed in the architecture, engineering, construction and operation sector. This paper reports on a pilot case study where building information modelling and virtual reality were used for OSH training purposes related to the operation of a tunnel-boring machine. The aim of the research was to identify the benefits, barriers and challenges associated with the implementation of these KTDs in a joint venture organisation delivering part of a complex megaproject in Central London, UK, the Thames Tideway Tunnel project (thereafter, ‘Tideway’). The reported benefits included better safety in design and improved hazard perception. Tideway estimates that the project could potentially see a 20% reduction in training time and a 10% reduction in accidents. The key lessons learned include the need to keep costs down, the necessity for system portability and ease of access. The results of the study will assist organisations that are interested in the adoption of these KTDs and provide valuable insights to the wider construction industry. This will in turn enable companies to improve how OSH is managed and promote the uptake of KTDs for OSH.

"This was never about a virus": Perceptions of Vaccination Hazards and Pandemic Risk in #Covid19NZ Tweets.

In this paper, we draw on qualitative methods from the medical humanities and quantitative approaches from corpus linguistics to assess the different mappings of pandemic risks by Twitter (X) users employing the #Covid19nz hashtag. We look specifically at their responses to government measures around vaccines between August and November 2021. Risk, we reveal, was a major discursive thread in tweets during this period, but within our tweets, it was the vaccine rather than the virus around which hazard perception and response were grouped. We find that the discursive stance of those opposed to the vaccine evoked entangled medical and political hazards, untrustworthy experts, obscure information, restrictions on sovereignty, threats to children, and uncertain future dangers, all of which positioned them within what Ulrich Beck termed the world risk society. We also found that these narratives of risk manifested in specific Twitter styles, which employed a consistently larger number of hashtags. The lack of conjunctions between the hashtags, we argue, encouraged a disordered reading of doubt and precaution, as the hashtags presented triggering phrases whose interconnections were hinted at rather than specified. By contrast, those who tweeted in support of government measures were rhetorically led by solutions rather than risks, with one exception: their perception of those who were vaccine opposed. We use scholarship on risk and precautionary logic to map out the contrasting positions in tweets addressing Aotearoa New Zealand's pandemic experience during the closing months of 2021.

The effect of taillight shapes and vehicle distance on rearward drivers’ hazard perception

Rear-end collisions are prevalent during night driving. Taillights are vital in conveying hazards between leading and following vehicles at night. Taillights highlight a vehicle’s presence, particularly for vehicles following from behind. Therefore, it is essential to design taillights that maximize the perception of hazards for drivers behind them. This study explored how different taillight shapes affect rear drivers’ hazard perceptions during nighttime driving. Two experiments were conducted using ERP measurements to study the effects of taillight shapes (three square types in Experiment 1: solid, array, and contour; two linear types in Experiment 2: through type and non-through type) and the distance to the leading vehicle on participants’ hazard perceptions. Participants responded to images of nighttime driving scenarios during the experiments while their ERP and behavioral data were recorded. The stimulus images showed the view from a driver looking at the vehicle ahead on a clear night. The neural process of hazard perception consists of two stages: automatic detection (early) and evaluation (later). In this study, P2 indicated attention bias to the stimulus during the detection stage, and LPP indicated the negative emotion triggered by the stimulus during the evaluation stage. Experiment 1 showed that solid-shaped taillights were perceived as more hazardous and processed faster than other square taillight shapes. Experiment 2 found that non-through-type and through-type linear taillights were perceived as more hazardous during the automatic detection and subjective evaluation stages, respectively. However, the behavioral data showed that through-type taillights were considered more hazardous and were associated with shorter response times. Thus, solid square taillights and through-type linear taillights can be optimal ergonomic solutions. These findings can serve as a reference for taillight designers, manufacturers, and potential car buyers regarding safety considerations.

Female ophthalmologists’ perception of occupational hazards during pregnancy

ObjectiveWoman ophthalmologists of childbearing age are exposed to different types of occupational risks which can be harmful to pregnancy and to the development of the fetus. The objective of this paper is to analyze the perception of these risks during pregnancy. MethodsWe designed a survey which was answered by 42 ophthalmologists who had been working during pregnancy. We report the perception of global and specific risk according to the type of agent. Results38.1% of the ophthalmologists perceive that the overall risk of working during pregnancy is high, and 35.7% consider it moderate. Regarding specific risk, the most relevant agents are the ergonomic and psychosocial ones. Physical agents are considered the least important. ConclusionsAlthough most of the surveyed ophthalmologists perceived the occupational risk as high or moderate, only 19% of them took time off work due to this reason. The most important agents were ergonomic and psychosocial.