2008 Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 1-10
Currently, various driver assistance systems are under development to make driving safer. However, the potential effect on safety of such systems might be reduced because of risk compensation behavior by drivers. This study investigated the effect of driver assistance systems on risk compensation behavior using a computer display. The effect of different information providing strategies at an intersection was compared. The experimental conditions were (1) normal information, (2) detailed information, (3) restricted information, and (4) no information. The results showed that participants “looked” significantly less in the “detailed information” condition than in other conditions. The difference in the number of collisions was not significant between this condition and the “no information” condition, while the number of collisions was significantly reduced in the “normal” and “restricted” information conditions. These facts imply that the degree of risk compensation might vary depending on information providing strategies. Additionally, we propose a hypothetical model for promoting/ preventing risk compensation behavior based on the results of this experiment.
