Control of Vehicle Braking by Younger and Older Drivers: The Effect of Texture and Size Information

Safe driving performance includes the successful detection and avoidance of an impending collision. Of all crash types, rear end collisions account for a high number of vehicle crashes. For example, data from the NHTSA 2003 General Estimates system indicated that rear-end crashes accounted for 28% of police reported crashes in the United States and is a rate higher than other types of high crash rate events such as loss of control incidents (23%) and improper lane changes (9%) [1]. The frequency and severity of rear-end collisions and its importance to driving safety is evident by the relatively recent introduction of collision avoidance systems within vehicles (e.g. NTSB, 2001) intended to reduce the incidence of rear-end collisions.