A road test comparison of reaction times using an operational combined brake-accelerator pedal and the conventional brake pedal

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Authors
Higginbotham, Heston W. III
Frost, John Allen.
Subjects
dual-function pedal
lower linkage travel
mechanical advantage
pedal travel
reaction time
upper linkage travel
Advisors
Poock, Gary K.
Date of Issue
1972-09
Date
September 1972
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to compare road test reaction times obtained from a dual-function pedal that was completely integrated into an automobile's accelerating and braking systems. The resultant mean reaction times, measured from seventeen subjects in tests at Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California, were 0.316 seconds for the dual-function pedal and 0.450 seconds for the conventional brake pedal. Analysis of variance showed that the reaction time when using the dual-function pedal was significantly faster than reaction time when using the conventional pedal at the p = .01 level. The results of this experiment show that reaction times using the combined brake-accelerator pedal are faster by 29.8% (corresponding to reducing the stopping distance by 12 feet at 60 miles per hour) , than those using the conventional system.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Operations Research and Administrative Sciences
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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