What's around the curve? A driving simulation experiment on compensatory strategies for safe driving along horizontal curves with sight limitations

This paper focuses on the behaviours adopted by road users when negotiating horizontal curves with sight limitations. Experiments at a driving simulator were conducted on two-lane highways in which drivers were confronted with a range of sight conditions generated by the manipulation of variables such as curve direction, radii and distance of lateral sight obstructions along horizontal curves. It was observed that most of the drivers adopted strategies which resulted in a stopping distance shorter than the available sight distance, thereby maintaining safe driving conditions. Some drivers reduced their speed, some increased the lateral distance from any sight obstructions along the roadside, some did both, while others did neither. A preliminary analysis indicated that the safety benefits resulting from a vehicle speed reduction strategy significantly outweigh those from a lateral shift in the lane. Further analyses on the 1246 cases investigated offered further support for this proposition, while revealing that a higher proportion of drivers opted for the first strategy for safety reasons. Moreover, visibility conditions (safe, partially safe, and unsafe) played a role in the choice of driving strategies. Results provide evidence that a significant group of drivers used the two strategies under severely restricted visibility conditions (i.e., along sharp radius curves); however, the strategies selected were independent of the driver speed profile (i.e., slower, average, or faster).