Essay Sample on Effects of Fog on Distance and Speed Perception

Introduction

Drivers are at high risk when driving in fog despite their high driving abilities. Over the years, there have been a significant number of deaths and injuries in fog-related accidents. Nonetheless, the response of drivers during the foggy weather period regarding vehicle speed and control can help reduce the fatal crashes that happen as a result of foggy conditions. Fog affects the visibility of an individual and thus impacts speed and distance perception which results in accidents. This paper is thus premised on the effects of Fog on distance and speed perception.

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Drivers react in different ways in fog conditions which pose a threat to passengers. Foggy conditions lead drivers to feel that they are traveling faster than they are in an actual sense (Caro et al., 2009). Additionally, the diverse driving strategies and associated speeds play a significant role in the many cases of severe crashes in fog. Research suggests that although drivers reduce speed to some extent in fog due to reduced visibility, they do not decrease in a way that they can avoid and react to highway hazards such as animals and pedestrians (Brooks et al., 2011). Fog also results in a reduction in lane-keeping ability by drivers at a short visibility distance. When driving in fog, the visibility distance has a significant decline. As a result, the driver can only see a close distance hindering their lane-keeping ability, especially in dense fog.

Reduced visibility affects speed since fog simulation reduces driving speed by the fog density. This, therefore, implies that fog selectively minimizes the visibility of the region leaving the proximal area with high sharp velocity being the only visible part. Consequently, the present low-velocity signals from the visual area biases perceived speed. Therefore, it implies that reducing speed in fog condition results from a non-optimal perceptual compensation for the mid-region with low velocities which leads a driver to overestimate their speed. For instance, a driver can only see at a close distance due to heavy fog condition, and the density of fog determines the visible distance. Dense fog leads a driver to view a shorter distance as compared to light mist which a driver can see at a relatively long distance. In cases of thick fog, drivers are at a higher risk of crashing as a result of distance perception.

With low visibility conditions, drivers are likely to increase time headway due to anticipation difficulty caused by visibility reduction. Research also shows that when drivers are under time pressure, they are likely to drive fast which is dangerous under foggy conditions (Brooks et al., 2011). In return, they become increasingly alert. Nonetheless, this does not reduce the rate at which accidents occur as a result of foggy conditions which. It implies that alertness by drivers in the fog does not exactly affect their speed and distance perception which does not change the rate at which foggy conditions cause damages. For instance, a reduction in visibility does not always lead to an increase in speed since drivers who are in a hurry might not reduce their speed on foggy weather. It means that they have to improve their alertness to help speed up and cope with the weather. Nonetheless, readiness does not change much of the reduced visibility.

In fog, a driver's behavior changes due to impaired perception of headway changes which causes short-following distances in fog as compared to clear weather. About Caro et al., when the vehicle outline is invisible or hardly visible, fog condition leads to an increase in response time (2009). Long response time indicates low vehicle contrast and cannot have a proper perception in foggy conditions. In foggy weather, drivers can thus acquire discrimination of relative movement by reducing headway. Benefits can, therefore, accrue from shortening following distance till there is a change in the leading vehicle's visibility.

Additionally, driving during foggy weather leads to reduced visibility and tends to move slowly while the drivers feel that they are moving fast. Reduced visibility renders a driver to see a short distance ahead as compared to when there is clear weather. Consequently, they feel that they are moving fast and thus leading them to reduce their speed. Ideally, fog increases the perceived speed, and therefore a driver is likely to move slowly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, fog weather has been the main problem in causing car crashes where at times more than three cars crash causing damage and loss of lives. This is caused by fog which affects a driver's perceived speed and distance. Fog reduces visibility, and thus a driver can only see at a close range which adversely affects their ability to drive fast. Consequently, their speed perception is raised leading them to drive slowly. More dense fog will reduce the distance that a driver can see causing much reduction in visibility. Drivers should, therefore, take extra care while driving in foggy weather to avoid crashing other cars and thus resulting in loss of lives.

References

Brooks, J. O., Crisler, M. C., Klein, N., Goodenough, R., Beeco, R. W., Guirl, C. Beck, C. (2011). Speed choice and driving performance in simulated foggy conditions. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 43(3), 698-705.

Caro, S., Cavallo, V., Marendaz, C., Boer, E. R., & Vienne, F. (2009). Can Headway Reduction in Fog Be Explained by Impaired Perception of Relative Motion? Human Factors, 51(3), 378-392