SPEED CHOICE AND STEERING BEHAVIOR IN CURVE DRIVING

The relation between speed choice and steering performance during curv e negotiation was studied in a driving simulator. The hypothesis was t hat curve radius and steering competence both affect steering error du ring curve driving, resulting in compensatory speed choice. In this, t he control of safety margins was assumed to operate as a regulatory me chanism. Smaller curve radii resulted in a larger required steering wh eel angle, and steering error increased linearly with required steerin g wheel angle. Participants compensated for this by choosing a lower s peed, such that the time to line crossing to the inner lane boundary w as constant over all curve radii examined. Steering competence was mea sured during straight-road driving. Poorer steering competence also re sulted in larger steering errors, which were compensated for by choosi ng a lower speed, such that the safety margin to the inner lane bounda ry was unaffected by steering competence.