This is mainly about motor vehicle (MV) driver (operator) characteristics. These are used for roadway design, traffic engineering, and safety. Drivers are part of a driver - vehicle - roadway dynamic system. Vehicles and ways will be discusssed seperately. They are constrained by available technology, geography, and socio-economic considerations. If they have a human operator cargo they are limited by human ability and tolerence.

Only a very few transport vehicles do not have some type of operator. This note is about passenger car (PC), commercial vehicle (truck), and motocycle (MC) drivers. Operator of other types of transport vehicles may need more or less skill, by generally the requirements must fall within human limits. The MV driving task is familiar to millions. The driving tasks for all types of MV are very similar in most respects but are also highly variable. MV drivers are the largest group & generally have the widest range of abilities.

Human capabilities are similar but also highly variable. The capabilities required of an operator form the basis for testing and licensing. The require- ments include threshold levels of strenth, attitude, sight, hearing, etc. In addition there are aquired habits, skills, and conditioned responses. The vehicle control systems , seating position, driving technique, and many other aspects of MV have developed into highly standardized arrangements that exploit a range of driver variations of similarities.

A simple classification of driving and control tasks is: (note: the axis of reference is always relative to the vehicle):

1. For all driving tasks:
   • Perception of required control actions.
     
   • Intellectuation - deciding appropiate action that is required.
   • Reaction - taking appropiate control action
2. Steering (lateral motion) Control. Steering requirements are continuous when the vehicle is in motion. The effort should be reduced to optimal minimum to reduce fatigue on long journeys; should be within the physical limitations of all licenced operators; and should be within the safe limits of vehicle - roadway capabilities.
3. Longitudinal Motion Control. A journey begins with the vehicle at rest. Ideally, it accelerates to crusing speeds and continues until it slows and comes rest. Most journeys require many speed variatons involving acceleration and deceleration. Braking is assisted deceleration.

Links:
• Vehicle Characteristics
• Vehicle Operators, Drivers, and Human Factors
• Roadway characteristics
• Queuing and Waiting Lines
• Traffic Engineering Models
• TRANSPO Introduction start page
• Home
• Index of MYNET files

End to date, ams 990720