The Human Factor in the Evaluation of a Road Layout in a Virtual Environment: A Case Study

The paper discusses the mechanisms based on visual stimuli that influence driver behavior and, subsequently, vehicle speed and trajectory. Road layout (i.e. the alternation of curves and tangents) must be designed in regard to a correct perception of the perspective sight. In order to consider the road from this point of view, experimental surveys have been conducted in a virtual environment (driving simulator), where real layouts have been reproduced and submitted to changes in their geometry (radii, tangent length, etc). Driver reaction in different environments has been monitored. Attention was particularly paid to the vehicular speed (always higher than the legal speed), because this parameter modifies the sight and hides layout variations, inducing a poor understanding of the limits of the occupied lane. The driving simulator proved to be a tool that can be used for the laboratory reproduction of risk situations.