Driver gap acceptance at intersections

Abstract

TO SEEK A REALISTIC THEORY OF DRIVER GAP ACCEPTANCE, THE GAP LIMEN WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE METHOD OF CONSTANT STIMULI. IN A FIELD-TEST SITUATION, DRIVERS WERE EXPOSED TO AN APPROACHING VEHICLE FOR A 1-SEC INTERVAL AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING ITS APPROACH AT SPEEDS OF 16, 32, 48, AND 64 MPH. ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT DRIVERS ACCEPT A GAP EQUAL TO 5.4 TIMES THE APPROACH-VEHICLE VELOCITY. THE OBTAINED FUNCTION MOST NEARLY SUPPORTS A TIME HYPOTHESIS OF DRIVER GAP ACCEPTANCE. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)