Applied Experimental and Human Factors Program, University of Central Florida, Orlando 32816, USA.
Hum Factors. 2010 Jun;52(3):355-69. doi: 10.1177/0018720810374613.
This study investigated variables that may contribute to motorcycle conspicuity within a high-fidelity simulated environment. The variables included motorcycle lighting, vehicular daytime running lights (DRLs), and age of the driver of the other vehicle.
Research suggests that decreased levels of conspicuity associated with riding a small two-wheeled vehicle reduce the ability of other drivers to detect and respond to that vehicle effectively. This lack of conspicuity is often responsible for the frequent injuries and fatalities incurred by motorcycle riders.
The 75 participants who took part in this study watched a series of video clips of roadway traffic and were asked to indicate when they saw a hazardous situation, such as the presence of pedestrians, motorcycles, or traffic cones. Both motorcycle and following-vehicle lights were manipulated, and participant reaction times were collected and analyzed.
Analyses indicated main effects for all three variables as well as interaction effects between motorcycle lighting and vehicle-following conditions. Overall, findings showed a link between DRLs and the effective detection of motorcycles and suggested that age-related changes affect the ability to detect and respond to a motorcycle effectively.
Although our laboratory findings corroborated previous correlational studies, further research in real-world settings, such as those with high-density traffic or under adverse environmental conditions, needs to be conducted.
Potential applications of this research include the assessment of appropriate lighting technology to enhance conspicuity of motorcycles and reduce the high rate of fatalities and injuries related to motorcycle crashes.
本研究旨在探讨可能导致高保真模拟环境中摩托车可视性的变量。这些变量包括摩托车照明、车辆日间行车灯（DRL）以及另一辆车驾驶员的年龄。
研究表明，与骑乘小型两轮车相关的可视性降低会降低其他驾驶员有效检测和响应该车辆的能力。这种可视性不足通常是导致摩托车骑手频繁受伤和死亡的原因。
参与本研究的 75 名参与者观看了一系列道路交通视频片段，并被要求指出何时看到危险情况，例如行人、摩托车或交通锥的存在。同时操纵摩托车和尾随车辆的灯光，并收集和分析参与者的反应时间。
分析表明，所有三个变量都有主效应，摩托车照明和车辆尾随条件之间也存在交互效应。总体而言，研究结果表明 DRL 与摩托车的有效检测之间存在联系，并表明与年龄相关的变化会影响有效检测和响应摩托车的能力。
虽然我们的实验室研究结果与之前的相关性研究相符，但需要在现实环境中进行进一步研究，例如在交通密度高或环境条件不利的情况下进行研究。
这项研究的潜在应用包括评估适当的照明技术，以提高摩托车的可视性，并降低与摩托车碰撞相关的高死亡率和受伤率。
