Hazard Perception Test (HPT): A Pilot Study in Brazil

Traffic collisions are a major cause of violent death and disability worldwide (Goldman & Ausiello, 2009). In developing countries, mortality rates are significantly higher when compared to other countries. In Brazil, official data show 23.4 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 10.6 in the United States and 6.0 in Canada (Global Status Report on Road Safety, 2015). Driving requires specific motor and cognitive skills, such hazard perception. The Hazard Perception Test (HPT) assesses a drivers\u27 ability to identify or anticipate dangerous situations in traffic (Horswill & McKenna, 2004) and taps into different cognitive processes, such as speed to detect the hazard, judgment of hazard severity, and decision-making. The HPT has been directly associated with the risk of collision (Darby et al, 2009; McKenna & Horswill, 1999; Quimby et al, 1986; Wells et al, 2008). Many countries, such as Australia and Great Britain, have made hazard perception a regular component of the driving test. In Brazil, however, candidates undergo an exam that has the characteristics of a clinical screening and does not assess context-specific cognitive abilities. Thus, there is a clear demand for clinical procedures with greater diagnostic sensitivity that address fundamental abilities such as hazard perception. The goal of the study was to employ an adapted version of the static Hazard Perception Test (s-HPT) under standardized Brazilian conditions. Results indicated that drivers\u27 ability to perceive hazards is clearly dependent on variables such as expertise, age, and gender. The results are in accordance with previous studies conducted in other countries

How useful are volunteers for visual biodiversity surveys? An evaluation of skill level and group size during a conservation expedition

The ability of volunteers to undertake different tasks and accurately collect data is critical for the success of many conservation projects. In this study, a simulated herpetofauna visual encounter survey was used to compare the detection and distance estimation accuracy of volunteers and more experienced observers. Experience had a positive effect on individual detection accuracy. However, lower detection performance of less experienced volunteers was not found in the group data, with larger groups being more successful overall, suggesting that working in groups facilitates detection accuracy of those with less experience. This study supports the idea that by optimizing survey protocols according to the available resources (time and volunteer numbers), the sampling efficiency of monitoring programs can be improved and that non-expert volunteers can provide valuable contributions to visual encounter-based biodiversity surveys. Recommendations are made for the improvement of survey methodology involving non-expert volunteers

Plasticity of Feature-Based Selection in Triple-Conjunction Search

Two experiments examined the disruption of feature-based selection in triple-conjunction search at multiple target transfers. In Experiment 1, after 10 training sessions, a new target possessing previous distractor features was introduced. This produced disruption in RT and fixation number, but no disruption in feature-based selection. Specifically, there was a tendency to fixate objects sharing the target\u27s contrast polarity and shape and this did not change even upon transfer to the new target. In Experiment 2, 30 training sessions were provided with three target transfers. At the first transfer, the results replicated Experiment 1. Subsequent transfers did not produce disruption on any measure. These findings are discussed in terms of strength theory, Guided Search, rule-based approaches to perceptual learning, and the area activation model

Age differences in estimating vehicle velocity.

Automobile accidents among older adults may be related to difficulties in judging the speed of other vehicles. To examine this possibility, 3 groups of observers in the young adult, middle-aged, and older adult age ranges were asked to estimate the velocity ofan isolated automobile traveling at 15-50 mph (24-80 kph). Across all age groups, perceived and actual velocity were related by a power function with an exponent of 1.36. Age was significantly and positively correlated with intercepts, but negatively correlated with exponents; that is, older observers showed less ensitivity to changes in actual velocity. Results bear on the issues ofontogenetic changes in accident involve-ment and sensitivity to motion. Although nonvisual factors play a role in effective driving performance, driving is predominantly a visual task. Hills (1980) estimated that more than 90 % of the information im-pinging on the driver is visual in nature. Among the many visual tasks required by the driver, estimating the velocity of other vehicles appears to be one of the more salient. Velocity estimation plays a role in various traffic maneuvers, includin

The effects of driving experience on responses to a static hazard perception test

Novice drivers exhibit deficits in hazard perception that are likely to increase their risk of collisions. We developed a static hazard perception test that presents still images to observers and requires them to indicate the presence of a traffic conflict that would lead to a collision. Responses to these scenes were obtained for young adult novice (N = 29) and experienced drivers (N = 27). Additionally, participants rated the hazard risk and clutter of each scene. Novice drivers rated traffic conflicts as less hazardous and responded more slowly to them. Using a subset of 21 scenes, we were able to discriminate novice and experienced young adult drivers with a classification accuracy of 78% and a scale reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of.91. The potential applications of this research include the development of standardized hazard perception tests that can be used for driver evaluation, training and licensure

Age-Related Deficits in the Frequency of Gaze Responses to the Mirrors and Blind-Spot During Land Change Maneuvers of Various Complexity

Lane changing is a complex driving maneuver that could challenge elderly drivers. The aim of this study was to evaluate eye glances of young and elderly active drivers when engaging lane change maneuvers. Twelve young (aged 21-31 years) and eleven older (aged 65-75 years) active drivers drove through a continuous simulated environment (STISIM, v2.0). The scenario included 16 events where the driver needed to glance at three important regions of interest (ROI): 1) the rear-view mirror, 2) the left-side mirror, and 3) the left blind spot to ensure secure lane change. The lane change maneuvers were necessary 1) to avoid a static object that was partially or completely blocking the lane or 2) for overtaking a slower moving vehicle. Compared with younger drivers, older drivers showed a reduced frequency of glances towards the left-side mirror and the blind spot. Also, while the older drivers showed a constant frequency of glances across the two types of driving maneuvers (i.e., avoiding a static object and overtaking a slower vehicle), the younger drivers generally showed a higher frequency of glances and this frequency increased when overtaking a slower vehicle. A better knowledge of the elderly drivers’ behavior could enable researchers to identify at-risk behaviors and to retrain older drivers to adopt safer behaviors