The driver's reaction time is understood as the time separating the signal about a change in the traffic situation received by the driver's senses and the beginning of their impact on the vehicle controls.
Simple formulation, isn't it? Meanwhile, it almost does not reveal the peculiarities of the driver's reaction, the time spent on it in different conditions, as well as in the same situation, but under the influence of different factors. All this you need to know in order to minimize the likelihood of a traffic accident. Knowledge in this case- truly a force that saves human lives.
The complete signal flow diagram is as follows. Changes in the traffic situation are perceived mainly by the driver's eyes. (The exception is situations where the source of the danger is out of the driver's field of vision; then the decision-making time is counted from the perception by the hearing organs.)
The set of signals enters the central nervous system of the driver, where, based on them and on the basis of the amount of acquired knowledge and experience, a response is formed - in the form of a series of actions performed by the driver with the steering wheel, brake pedal, etc.
However, the human body is a very complex biological system, and instant transmission of a danger signal through it is almost impossible. Suffice it to mention the time spent processing information in the brain. Now, during the examination, the standard driver reaction time is used, equal to 0.8 s. But real life is always strikingly different from theoretical calculations.
For example, ideally, for braking, the driver just needs to move his foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal - and it takes no more than 0.5 seconds. If you need to go around an obstacle, the control actions will be more difficult, and accordingly, the time to complete them will increase ...
In terms of reaction time, male drivers better than women, - by about 0.05 s. The beautiful halves, however, are ahead in terms of control precision.
Age
Young people are quicker to detect the signal and process information. However, older people spend less time making the right decisions, and their reaction times are more stable.
Experience, seniority
No knowledge of traffic rules and technology can replace the driver's "experience, the son of difficult mistakes." can be recognized by calm, disciplined, confident, sometimes even intuitive driving. The ability to predict the situation on the road, acquired over the years, significantly reduces the reaction time of the driver with experience.
Fitness
Regular physical education and sports have a healing effect on the body. As a result, physically fit drivers react more quickly to danger.
Working conditions
Urban traffic is a constant change traffic situation... Therefore, the driver, setting himself up for this in advance, reacts better to a sudden danger than "lulled" by a long and monotonous long-distance highway.
Times of Day
Night is a time of limited illumination that even the most intense artificial light cannot compensate for. In addition, nature has adjusted the biological clock of the human body to rest at night. In total, this dulls the driver's vigilance by an average of five. Dawn and twilight times are very insidious in this respect.
Unfavorable weather conditions
Anything that limits visibility on the road - rain, snowfall, fog, dust storm - automatically increases the time it takes the driver to react to driving. Poor tire adhesion to the road surface can instantly bring a harmless situation to a threatening one.
Alcohol
A powerful brake on the driver's reaction time - from double and more. Even in small doses. This is enough to commit a crime. For no one has canceled the fact that a drunk person driving is a criminal.
Mobile phone
The same unconditional evil for the driver, like alcohol, - it reduces the reaction to the traffic situation at times. Perhaps the law passed by the State Duma will change the situation for the better. Although, perhaps, it should have been done immediately, as in the Netherlands: there they are punished with two weeks' imprisonment or a fine of 2 thousand euros.
Medicines
There is an impressive list of medications after which driving is contraindicated. (And this should be reflected in the information attached to the drug.) Even seemingly harmless cold remedies and pain relievers can significantly prolong the driver's reaction time. Not to mention psychotropic drugs. But stimulants are no less dangerous: after taking them, temporary excessive excitement is replaced by a sharp decline. In addition, if the driver feels unwell, is it worth driving in this state at all?
Fatigue
Another factor under the influence of which it is highly undesirable to hit the road. For example, physical work (many drivers also have to work as loaders) can increase the reaction time by 0.1 s. Another variant of fatigue is very often recorded in the accident reports - "fell asleep while driving." Long-distance truck drivers should note that 16 hours of continuous operation increases response times by 0.4 seconds. Solve this problem by keeping track of the rest and work time of drivers.
Workplace
The better its ergonomics, the better the driver reacts to the traffic situation. A seat for the driver's height, a ventilated cab, and the absence of distracting objects are the components of an accident-free ride. If the transport is freight, reliable fastening cargo, eliminating extraneous noise on the road, also contributes to low driver fatigue.
Music
A range of musical compositions that create a welcoming, working atmosphere in the cockpit, support increased attention and reduce fatigue. However, this applies mainly to intercity routes; in the city, music is more of a distraction. And one more thing: the louder the music, the worse the driver's reaction time.
Fragrances
Their action is similar to music. There are relaxing aromas, there are invigorating ones. A well-chosen scent will contribute to the concentration of attention on the road.
One of the most common in the world, at the same time one of the most risky. Every day it requires knowledge of all its subtleties, nuances, ideas about how the body reacts to the variability of the road situation, what factors and how control the driver's reaction time. But without all these components, neither true skill nor driving on the roads of the 21st century without mistakes and emergencies is unthinkable.
DRIVER'S RESPONSE TIME - the psychological quality of a driver to make a decision and react to a change in the traffic situation.
It is known that a reaction is the body's response to some external stimulus. Reactions are divided into simple and complex. The former include responses to one stimulus (for example, braking a vehicle in front). The second is the action of several stimuli at once (for example, at a regulated intersection, in addition to fulfilling the requirements of traffic signals, you have to let pedestrians pass, monitor other vehicles).
The duration of the formation of the driver's response to various stimuli, as studies show, is: for braking a car in front with a brake light - 0.42 s, for traffic signals in locality- 0.40 s, on road signs- 0.50 s, on bumps on the road - 0.80 s.
The average reaction time to the activation of the brakes for men is 0.57 s, for women - 0.62 s. The response time of drivers to a brake signal is 0.37 s for 2% of drivers; 0.61 s - 50%; 0.78 and more in 48%.
At a speed of 50 km / h and a reaction time of 0.6 s, the car will travel 9 m before braking, and 44 m to a complete stop on dry surface.
Reaction times vary from person to person. It can vary from 0.5 to 1.5 s. So, for the inclusion of the brakes in men, it is less than in women, and in physically trained people it is less than in those who do not regularly engage in physical education and sports. The conditions in which drivers work are also important.
Urban taxi drivers tend to perform worse when braking on country roads than in the city. Older people, inferior to young people in the speed of signal detection, surpass them in the speed of making the right decisions and in the stability of the reaction time.
Even for one person, the reaction time can vary. Alcohol has a detrimental effect: small doses of it increase the reaction time by 2-4 times. As confirmed by numerous studies, in the event of an unexpected obstacle, the reaction time is more than doubled.
Driver reaction time
In psychological practice, the reaction time of the driver is understood as the period of time from the moment the driver receives a danger signal until the driver begins to influence the controls. vehicle(brake pedal, steering wheel).
In expert practice, this term is usually understood as a time interval t1 sufficient for any driver (whose psychophysical capabilities meet professional requirements), after an objective opportunity to detect a hazard arises, to have time to influence the controls of the vehicle.
Obviously, there is a significant difference between these two concepts.
First, the signal of danger does not always coincide with the moment when there is an objective opportunity to detect an obstacle. At the moment an obstacle appears, the driver can perform other functions that distract him for some time from observing in the direction of the obstacle that has arisen (for example, observing the readings of control devices, the behavior of passengers, objects located to the side of the direction of travel, etc.) ...
Consequently, the reaction time (in the sense that this term is used in expert practice) includes the time elapsed from the moment when the driver had an objective opportunity to detect the obstacle to the moment when he actually found it, and the actual reaction time from the moment receipt of a danger signal to the driver.
Secondly, the response time of the driver t1, which is taken in the calculations of experts, for a given road situation is a constant value, the same for all drivers. It can significantly exceed the actual response time of the driver in a particular case of a road traffic accident, however, the actual response time of the driver should not exceed this value, since then his actions should be assessed as untimely.
The actual response time of a driver over a short period of time can vary widely depending on a number of random circumstances.
Consequently, the driver's reaction time t1, which is taken in expert calculations, is essentially normative, as if setting the required degree of driver's attentiveness.
If the driver reacts to the signal more slowly than other drivers, then he must be more attentive when driving in order to meet this standard.
It would be more correct, in our opinion, to call the value of t1 not the response time of the driver, but the standard time of delay for the driver's actions, this name more accurately reflects the essence of this value. However, since the term “driver reaction time” is firmly rooted in expert and investigative practice, we keep it in this work.
Since the required degree of driver's attention and the ability to detect obstacles in different road conditions are not the same, it is advisable to differentiate the standard reaction time. To do this, complex experiments are required to determine the dependence of the reaction time of drivers on various circumstances.
If the driver is warned about the possibility of a hazard and about the place of the expected appearance of an obstacle (for example, when a bus is bypassed from which passengers are leaving, or when passing a pedestrian at a short interval), he does not need additional time to detect the obstacle and make a decision, he should be prepared for immediate braking when dangerous pedestrian actions begin.
In such cases, the standard reaction time t1 is recommended to be taken as 0.4-0.6 sec (a larger value - in conditions of limited visibility).
When the driver discovers a malfunction of the controls only at the moment of a dangerous situation, the reaction time naturally increases, since this requires additional time for the driver to make a new decision, t1 in this case is equal to 2 seconds.
The traffic rules prohibit the driver to drive a vehicle even in the lightest state of alcoholic intoxication, as well as with such a degree of fatigue that may affect traffic safety. Therefore, the influence of alcoholic intoxication on t1 is not taken into account, and when assessing the degree of driver fatigue and its impact on traffic safety, the investigator (court) takes into account the circumstances that forced the driver to drive a vehicle in a similar state.
We believe that an expert in a note to the conclusion can indicate an increase in t1 as a result of overwork (after 16 hours of driving for about 0.4 seconds).
The driver's reaction, preparing the car for a long journey
Modern society is unthinkable without a car: the vast majority of passengers and goods are transported by cars.
However, with the rapid growth of world vehicle fleet, with the increase in traffic volume and traffic intensity on the roads, the number of road accidents has sharply increased.
Research in recent years has shown that the overwhelming majority of road traffic accidents (70-90%) do not occur as a result of imperfect technology (defects in the design of the car, insufficient reliability of components and parts of the car in operation, poor road conditions), but as a result of erroneous actions of the person driving a car, that is, most of the causes of road traffic accidents are based on a personal factor - the psychophysiological characteristics of the driver, the properties of his personality.
One of the most important manifestations of the psychophysiological qualities of drivers from the point of view of traffic safety is the reaction time.
What is reaction time?
Let's say a car is driving on a road. And suddenly an obstacle appears in front of him (a pedestrian jumps out onto the road, a hole, the car in front of him sharply brakes, etc.). Suddenly, the driver loses the ability to act. A person needs some time to realize new, unexpected circumstances, evaluate them, determine the necessary actions.
This process takes on average about one second to complete. This is called the driver's reaction. In everyday life and for many professions, responsiveness is not essential. The driver's response when driving is one of the most important qualities for ensuring traffic safety. The reaction process can be divided into three phases:
1.assessment of the situation,
2.decision making
3. execution of retaliatory actions.
The driver's reaction time when driving a car is a short period from the moment the danger is perceived to the beginning of actions aimed at its elimination. The reaction can be complex or simple.
At times of complex reaction is the time elapsing from the moment one or more obstacles appear in front of the driver until the moment of response with an action that the driver did not determine in advance and for which he was not prepared... When the vehicle is moving in front of the driver, a variety of circumstances can arise. In order to prevent the emerging danger, the driver must correctly assess and choose the most effective action. He can either stop the car, or go around the object of danger, or drive past it at an increased speed.
The driver's complex reaction time is about 0.8 s, and in case of fright, fatigue, sickness, after many hours of work, its value can be more than 1 s. In the practice of forensic examinations on road traffic accidents, the reaction time is considered equal to 0.8 s. However, if an accident occurred after 16 hours of work by the driver, the reaction time is assumed to be 1.2 s.
Simple reaction time is called the time elapsing from the moment a danger (obstacle) appears in front of the driver until the moment of response to it by a simple, predetermined action. It is equal to 0.4-0.6 s. However, despite the fact that a simple reaction proceeds faster than a complex one, its time is still significant, since it also includes the time for transferring the right leg from the pedal. throttle on the brake pedal. The reaction time in the hazardous area is significantly reduced.
It runs from the moment a danger or obstacle appears in front of the driver, for the perception of which the driver has prepared in advance, until the moment of responding to them with a simple, predetermined action, for which the driver is also prepared, for example, when approaching a pedestrian crossing, stopping public transport, cars standing near the sidewalk, etc.
This preparation consists in the fact that the driver, having determined the place of possible occurrence of a danger or obstacle, disengages the clutch in advance or puts the gear lever in the neutral position, using the coasting movement of the car, and transfers his right foot to the brake pedal. Since the driver performs such actions when approaching the place of possible danger, this time is called the reaction time in the danger zone. Its value is 0.2-0.3 s.
Now the emergence of danger will not be a surprise to the driver, and to prevent the consequences, he just needs to move his foot forward and press the brake pedal.
In the danger zone, it is advisable to slightly press the brake pedal in advance. This will reduce the response time of the brake drive and further shorten the stopping distance. The stopping distance of the car largely depends on the driver's reaction time.
The driver's reaction time is understood as the time separating the signal about a change in the traffic situation received by the driver's senses and the beginning of their impact on the vehicle controls.
Simple formulation, isn't it? Meanwhile, it almost does not reveal the peculiarities of the driver's reaction, the time spent on it in different conditions, as well as in the same situation, but under the influence of different factors. All this you need to know in order to minimize the likelihood of a road traffic accident. Knowledge in this case is truly a force that saves human lives. The complete signal flow diagram is as follows. Changes in the traffic situation are perceived mainly by the driver's eyes. (The exception is situations when the source of danger is out of the driver's field of vision; then the decision-making time is counted from the perception by the hearing organs.) the form of a series of actions performed by the driver with the steering wheel, brake pedal, etc. However, the human body is a very complex biological system, and instant transmission of a danger signal through it is almost impossible. Suffice it to mention the time spent processing information in the brain. Now, during the examination, the standard driver reaction time is used, equal to 0.8 s. But real life is always strikingly different from theoretical calculations. For example, ideally, for braking, the driver just needs to move his foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal - and it takes no more than 0.5 seconds. If you need to go around an obstacle, the control actions will be more difficult, and accordingly, the time to complete them will increase ...
In terms of reaction time, male drivers are slightly better than women - by about 0.05 s. The beautiful halves, however, are ahead in terms of control precision. Age Young people are faster at detecting signals and processing information. However, older people spend less time making the right decisions, and their reaction times are more stable.
Experience, seniority
No knowledge of traffic rules and technology can replace the driver "experience, the son of difficult mistakes." An experienced driver is immediately recognizable by his calm, disciplined, confident, sometimes even intuitive driving. The ability to predict the situation on the road, acquired over the years, significantly reduces the reaction time of the driver with experience.
Fitness
Regular physical education and sports have a healing effect on the body. As a result, physically fit drivers react more quickly to danger.
Working conditions
Urban traffic is a constant change in the traffic situation. Therefore, the driver, setting himself up for this in advance, reacts better to a sudden danger than "lulled" by a long and monotonous long-distance highway.
Times of Day
Night is a time of limited illumination that even the most intense artificial light cannot compensate for. In addition, nature has adjusted the biological clock of the human body to rest at night. In total, this dulls the driver's vigilance by an average of five. Dawn and twilight times are very insidious in this respect.
Unfavorable weather conditions
Anything that limits visibility on the road - rain, snowfall, fog, dust storm - automatically increases the time it takes the driver to react to driving. Poor tire adhesion to the road surface can instantly bring a harmless situation to a threatening one.
Alcohol
A powerful brake on the driver's reaction time - from 2 times and more. Even in small doses. This is enough to commit a crime. For no one has canceled the fact that a drunk person driving is a criminal.
Mobile phone
The same unconditional evil for the driver, like alcohol, - it reduces the reaction to the traffic situation at times. Perhaps the law passed by the State Duma to increase the fine for talking on the phone while driving will change the situation for the better. Although, perhaps, it should have been done immediately, as in the Netherlands: there they are punished with two weeks' imprisonment or a fine of 2 thousand euros.
Medicines
There is an impressive list of medications after which driving is contraindicated. (And this should be reflected in the information attached to the drug.) Even seemingly harmless cold remedies and pain relievers can significantly prolong the driver's reaction time. Not to mention psychotropic drugs. But stimulants are no less dangerous: after taking them, temporary excessive excitement is replaced by a sharp decline. In addition, if the driver feels unwell, is it worth driving in such a state at all? Fatigue
Another factor under the influence of which it is highly undesirable to hit the road. For example, physical work (many drivers also have to work as loaders) can increase the reaction time by 0.1 s. Another variant of fatigue is very often recorded in the accident reports - "fell asleep while driving." Long-distance truck drivers should note that 16 hours of continuous operation increases response times by 0.4 seconds. Tachographs are called to solve this problem, monitoring the time of rest and work of drivers.
Workplace
The better its ergonomics, the better the driver reacts to the traffic situation. A seat for the driver's height, a ventilated cab, and the absence of distracting objects are the components of an accident-free ride. If the transport is freight, reliable fastening of the load, excluding extraneous noise on the road, also contributes to low driver fatigue. Music
A range of musical compositions that create a welcoming, working atmosphere in the cockpit, support increased attention and reduce fatigue. However, this applies mainly to intercity routes; in the city, music is more of a distraction. And one more thing: the louder the music, the worse the driver's reaction time.
Fragrances
Their action is similar to music. There are relaxing aromas, there are invigorating ones. A well-chosen scent will contribute to the concentration of attention on the road.
The profession of a car driver is one of the most widespread in the world, and at the same time one of the most risky. Every day it requires knowledge of all its subtleties, nuances, ideas about how the body reacts to the variability of the road situation, what factors and how control the driver's reaction time. But without all these components, neither true skill nor driving on the roads of the 21st century without mistakes and emergencies is unthinkable.
Time driver reactions is one of the main characteristics that determine the level of accident-free traffic.
In most cases, it is the speed and correctness of decision-making in the event of a threat of an emergency, as well as the time for their implementation directly affect the likelihood of an accident.
In the course of numerous studies, it was found that the average driver reaction time fluctuates in the range of 0.3 - 1.5 s. The spread of time values equal to 1.2 s, expressed in the difference between the braking distances is 20 m (at a speed of 60 km / h and normal dry road surface). It is these 20 m (and in some cases a shorter distance is sufficient) that can cause an accident. However, it should be borne in mind that the value of the reaction is not a constant value for a person. Its final value is influenced by many factors, some of which a person is able to adjust towards improvement, while others are individual characteristics of the organism.
The term " reaction time»Is defined as the period of time elapsed from the beginning of the onset of the stimulus (emergency) until the moment the action is taken to eliminate it. Conventionally, this period of time can be divided into two intervals - sensory and motor. The sensory interval has the meaning of the time spent on the perception of the current dangerous road situation, highlighting the hazardous object and making a decision to prevent an accident. Motor interval refers to the time taken to perform driving actions to prevent accidents. Studies have determined that the duration motor interval practically stable in every person.
Among the main factors influencing the duration of the reaction, one can single out the difficulty in making a decision (depending on the degree of atypicality of the emergency situation), gender, age, driving experience (experience), the state of the body (healthy, sick, emotionally tense, tired, etc.), concentration of attention on dangerous factors and individual psychological characteristics of the driver's personality, as well as climatic factors and time of day.
The gender and age of the driver affect the visual-motor response. Until the age of 25, it averages 0.17 s for a simple and 1.54 s for a complex reaction, and by the age of 60 it reaches 0.26 s for a simple reaction and 2.04 s for a complex reaction. This difference is due to the fact that a complex reaction is characterized by choosing the right solution from a variety of options. It is this indicator that is strongly influenced by the driving experience.
Time simple reactions for women and men, they do not differ much, for a complex reaction, women need an average of 2.82 s, while for men this indicator is 1.82 s. Also, a relationship was found between the reaction time and the type of higher nervous activity of the driver. So for choleric people this indicator is 25 - 30% lower than for phlegmatic people, however, the number of erroneous actions they had was greater.
Factors such as emotions change driver reaction time depending on personal characteristics. So in laboratory conditions the average reaction time of the subjects was 0.5 s, and in real conditions the reaction time to the unexpected appearance of a pedestrian on a country road was 1 s ("second of fear"). This is due to the psychological unpreparedness of the driver, expressed through a feeling of confusion and shock. Emotions have the greatest influence on the duration of a complex reaction.
The daily dependence of the reaction time is the result of the predominance of inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex at night. So at night reaction time increases by 20 - 25% compared to the optimal observed from 7 o'clock to 13 o'clock.
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The imperfection of the modern method of determining the reaction time of drivers who have hit a pedestrian or collided with another vehicle is due to the hypothesis used by all auto technicians without exception, about the presumably the same reaction of all people without exception in a particular road transport situation, without taking into account the individual characteristics of each individual driver ... Nevertheless, if the situation during the auto-technical examination of an accident is not entirely clear, then experts recommend that in addition to the auto-technical examination, an engineering-psychological one should be carried out in order to determine the reaction time of each driver who participated in the investigated accident.
In recent years, a twofold situation has developed, judges do not like to drag out trials by conducting additional examinations, however, lawyers have the right to insist on raising exactly those questions that they may consider significant, including the response time of the driver. There is judicial practice that allows lawyers to refer to the need for such an examination and to raise questions regarding the driver's reaction time. It is enough to make an appropriate search query on the decisions of the courts, however, the prescription of this practice of conducting engineering and psychological examinations in the territory of the former USSR, available to the general public, can be traced back to 1998, when a similar examination was carried out at the Kharkov NIISE, which established the driver's reaction time, which was 2.5 seconds ...
In St. Petersburg, at present, such an examination is carried out by employees of the security laboratory. road traffic LLC "Kit Appraisal". The result of which was the publication of the accumulated over the years of practice "". Studies have shown that the majority of drivers have a reaction time significantly lower than indicated in the tables used by experts by auto technicians of the 60s of the last century. So, for example, the response time in the table can be 0.8 seconds, when in fact it is 2.4 seconds. This means that the stopping distance of the vehicle under control this driver at a speed of 60 km / h it increases by 26.6 meters. That can significantly affect the outcome of the driver's guilt case, if it is technically possible to prevent an accident.
It should also be noted that the average driver's reaction time is not enshrined in law and cannot be used when conducting auto-technical examinations, however, experts use the data of a reputable institute and refer to their scientific validity. On the other hand, the reaction time of an astronaut may differ from the reaction time of a pensioner and cannot be equated. Also, the SDA does not say about the reaction time or the use of averaged values, therefore the use of tables can cause significant harm to the cause of justice due to the absolute groundlessness of the initial data. Studies carried out on the basis of LLC "Kit Assessment" show that in 95% of cases the driver does not have the proper reaction according to the tabular data, due to the individual psychological and physical characteristics of the body. So, for drivers who drink alcohol moderately, the reaction time can be up to 2.8 seconds, while for drivers who do not drink alcohol at all, the reaction time is much better and reaches an average of 1.5 seconds. Thus, we believe that the driver's lack of reaction according to the tabular data is not a basis for his criminal prosecution.
In expert practice, it is customary to distinguish three components of the process that determine the driver's reaction time:
The time of object detection, which depends on many factors, not only visibility and visibility from the driver's seat, but also weather conditions. So, for example, sun glare can make a pedestrian or a cyclist practically invisible to the driver, which must be taken into account when carrying out an auto-technical examination;
The time during which the driver makes a decision on the actions to be taken in the event of a danger to traffic;
The time from the moment of making a decision until the start of the movement by the driver (motor reaction) by the controls, which is motor component when conducting engineering and psychological examinations. It has been established by experts that, for example, for elderly people, the motor reaction time is significantly lower (3-5 times) compared to young people.
Experts distinguish between simple and complex sensorimotor responses. What does this mean when carrying out an auto-technical examination? A simple reaction is characterized by an action on a well-known cause in advance. in a known way... For example, a simple reaction of the driver will be to press the brake pedal when an obstacle or a pedestrian appears in the vehicle's movement zone; in a more everyday, familiar form, a simple sensorimotor reaction is manifested when a traffic light prohibits a traffic light or the stop signals of a car in front are triggered. A complex sensorimotor reaction is characterized by an event for which the driver was not prepared in advance. That is why the assessment of the complexity of the situation on the road requires the automotive expert to be balanced when deciding whether to use the time interval in the calculations for a simple or complex (longer) sensorimotor reaction. In old teaching materials, an interval of 0.3 to 2 seconds is allocated for the reaction time, depending on the complexity of the traffic situation.
When calculating, as part of an auto-technical examination of the circumstances of an accident, the standard time frames are often used, determined by tabular data, to answer the question whether the driver had the opportunity to predict the likely occurrence of an accident, and also to take all measures to prevent it. A very controversial point, given the above. In most cases, the driver, as a participant in an accident, who was driving a vehicle of increased danger, is presented in a very unfavorable light for him. Although even inexperienced experts can sometimes wonder how many visionaries we have on the road, based on a reaction time of 0.3 seconds. During this time interval, you can blink about one and a half times.
For typical road traffic situations, the following time intervals, 0.6 seconds, apply:
The appearance of a pedestrian in the traffic corridor, leaving from behind an object blocking the view following another pedestrian;
Departure into the lane of a car, another vehicle that has a preferential right to travel;
The movement of a pedestrian on the carriageway in the driver's line of sight.
In 0.6 seconds, at a speed of 60 km / h, the car has time to drive about 10 meters. Those. the stopping distance in a given road transport situation turns out to be obviously shorter than if the expert was operating with real data on the driver's reaction time. So, with a reaction time of 1.5 seconds (which is close to the average), the car manages to drive about 25 meters before the start of braking, and if the question of initiating a criminal case is decided, the difference of 15 meters can very significantly affect the fate of the driver. That is why we strongly recommend calculating the reaction time for drivers in each case of an accident individually, which is in no way limited from the point of view of the law.
Imagine a situation when a driver had an objective opportunity to predict the occurrence of an accident, but due to certain circumstances could not determine exactly where and when a dangerous road traffic situation would arise, for example, an obstacle on a bad road (as an example, you can use the report on the state of the Nevsky overpass, or terrible technical condition roads in the Murmansk region). In this case, it is believed that the driver could have foreseen the situation and therefore he could be required to pay more attention to the traffic situation, constant monitoring of all factors and risks of an accident. In this case, a typical mistake autotechnical experts, is to apply a time interval equal to 0.8 seconds. But after all, the ability to predict a dangerous road traffic situation cannot be measured by anything, except for some guidelines, in the reliability of which we have already had time to doubt when carrying out real auto-technical examinations using special laboratory equipment that sets the driver's reaction time. Here is a list of situations for which 0.8 seconds is usually set for the driver's reaction time:
Changing the direction of movement of the overtaken vehicle in front at the time of overtaking;
Departure of oncoming traffic into the lane for a reverse or opposite direction of movement;
Emergency braking of the vehicle in front being overtaken by the vehicle following it;
Changing the trajectory of the vehicle in front due to the current dangerous traffic situation;
Pedestrian exit in the regulated area pedestrian crossing on the carriageway in front of the car, including at a regulated intersection at a permitting signal of a traffic light or an authorized traffic controller;
The appearance in the driver's field of vision of a pedestrian moving from the curb to the side of the tramway at the place of the tram stop, including when the pedestrian moves to the places where public transport stops;
The appearance in the driver's field of vision of a pedestrian who has entered the carriageway in the area where crossing the street is allowed if he was moving in a different direction, or left a group of standing people;
If a dangerous road traffic situation arises, about which the driver has been warned by a corresponding road sign.
For road traffic situations in which objects that could create a dangerous situation could be in the driver's field of vision, but the previous road traffic situation did not contain signs of danger, a time interval of 1.0 second is used. In this case, the assumption is taken into account that the driver could not determine in advance the place of occurrence of the danger, while the driver should not be distracted from the traffic situation. Unfortunately, practice shows that it is almost impossible to prove such a picture preceding an accident. However, when conducting an auto-technical examination, assumptions and assumptions are often made that significantly reduce the objectivity of the study.
In order for the carried out auto-technical examination to be as objective as possible, lawyers should pay attention to the following questions that can be put in court for the examination:
- What is the reaction time of a particular driver in a given traffic situation?
- How long is the stopping distance of the vehicle, taking into account the individually set driver reaction time?
- Did the driver have technical capability to prevent road accidents, taking into account its individual, psychophysiological characteristics?
A correctly posed question in court can significantly affect the results of the examination, and we can help you in this matter.
