Collision Avoidance Judgment at Different Experience Levels Using Different Information Sources：Landscape Information vs. Radar Information

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate differences in collision avoidance judgments made by navigators who had different levels of experience and were restricted to using either radar or landscape information, but not both. Collision avoidance judgment was assessed for four groups using metrics of timing and degrees of bearing relating to course alteration. Experiments were conducted in a simulator-based navigation room using a comparatively complex traffic situation in which multiple collisions needed to be avoided in sequence.

The results of course change timings indicated that less experienced navigators required less time than experienced navigators when restricted to using radar information. Results pertaining to the degree of bearing change relating to course alteration indicated that navigation using landscape information provided decisions that were more consistent, regardless of the experience level, whereas navigation using radar information led to a wide range of decisions regardless of the experience level. This suggests that access to landscape information contributes to prevent navigators from making diverse judgments for collision avoidance. Results thus show that the use of mainly landscape information appears to be crucial in maintaining safety when navigators avoid each other.