- by Brian Byrne
Info on driving gap is safer
03 March 2003: Providing drivers with information and warnings about the distance they're driving behind the vehicle in front can significantly change their driving habits, according to a new study.
The research carried out in Israel at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev monitored the 'headway' distances of more than 40 drivers over 3-week periods, first without any information and then with warnings first with a red light at a time/distance of 1.2sec and then a buzzer at 0.8sec.
Giving the drivers this 'feedback' reduced the amount of time the drivers spent in more dangerous positioning by a quarter, to 15 per cent of their total driving time, and improved the time they spent in safer distance positioning by around a fifth, to 65 per cent of the time.
They found that the improvements applied to all drivers, younger and older, male and female, and that the changes applied equally to daylight and night driving conditions.
The researchers conclude that manufacturers should install 'headway feedback displays' in their cars, as a matter of immediate improvement in road safety.
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