Speed Anticipation Characteristic with Optical Flow for Driver Behavior Assessment of Older Drivers

Abstract

The objective of this study is to clarify the relationship between the speed anticipation characteristic with optical flow derived from self-motion and driver behavior of older drivers for future driver assessment. We focused on speed anticipation with optical flow because anticipated speed is assumed to influence behavior at unsignalized intersections with limited visibility, which is an accidentprone situation for the older drivers in Japan. To assess the characteristic, we constructed a novel test by revising a similar test. We conducted an experiment with older drivers that consisted of the novel test and an on-road driving test. The experiment results showed that the speed anticipation characteristic with optical flow had a significant effect on older drivers' behavior at intersections and drivers who anticipated speed faster drove slower and safer.