Driving behavior differences among age groups while following a car on a straight road set in a high fidelity driving simulator were examined. Drivers, aged from 18 to 66 years old divided into four age groups each with six drivers, participated in the experiment and fluctuation indices of driving were summarized. Results revealed no significant age effects on the relative vehicle positions (i.e., lateral position and headway), but showed age dependent increments of driver operations (steering wheel angle and accelerator displacement) and vehicle behavior measures (lateral acceleration, longitudinal acceleration and velocity). The required reaction times to avoid lane departure and rear-end collisions successfully, which were estimated by experimental data and simplified models, showed no significant age effects. This result suggests senior drivers tend to take actions to compensate for their behavioral destabilizations to reduce collision risks.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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