Adjust Your View! Wing-Mirror Settings Influence Distance Estimations and Lane-Change Decisions

To perform lane-change maneuvers safely, sufficient distance to the subsequent traffic is required. In the present study distance estimations to the subsequent vehicle (Experiment 1) and lane-change decisions (Experiment 2) were gathered in dependency of left wing-mirror settings: Different vertical settings resulted in low and high vehicle positions with less or more pavement visible in the mirror. Additionally, the visibility or non-visibility of the observer’s rear door was varied. Findings indicated that a low vertical position of the following vehicle in the mirror and a visible rear door lead to shorter distance estimations and more cautious lane-change decisions than a high vertical position and a non-visible rear door. Consequently, wing-mirror settings are important for traffic safety.

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