Non-planar Driver's Side Rearview Mirrors: A Survey of Mirror Types and EuropeanDriver Experience and a Driver Behavior Study on the Influence of Experience and Driver Age on Gap Acceptance and Vehicle Detection

摘要

Some European drivers have been using different types of convex, driver-side rear-view mirrors which provide a wider field-of-view than flat mirrors, but produce a minified image. With a minified image, some drivers may have difficulty judging distances and approach speeds. To assess the potential benefits and difficulties experienced by European drivers using non-planar driver-side rearview mirrors, this research included a survey of mirror use as well as an experiment to measure the performance of drivers when making lane change decisions based on mirror information. In addition, an inventory of mirror characteristics on vehicles in use was performed.