Manuscript Title:

GENDER BASED TRAFFIC REACTION TIME ANALYSIS OF DRIVERS WITH RESPECT TO GENDER AND AGE GROUPS OF MALE AND FEMALE DRIVERS IN INDIAN MIXED TRAFFIC CONDITIONS

Author:

NIRANJAN G HIREMATH, Dr. J SUMALATHA

DOI Number:

DOI:10.5281/zenodo.12704163

Published : 2024-07-10

About the author(s)

1. NIRANJAN G HIREMATH - Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
2. Dr. J SUMALATHA - Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Full Text : PDF

Abstract

As and when the world grows in the name of development, the human population and the vehicle population increase manifold. With this the accident rates and the din of human confusion also increases. The driver reaction times play a major role in limiting or avoiding the accidents on the roads especially in the Indian Mixed Traffic Conditions. Therefore, a comprehensive test was conducted on 2000 samples of drivers in Bengaluru City to arrive at the reaction times of the drivers driving threewheelers, cars (Light Motor Vehicles), Buses (Heavy Motor Vehicles) and riding two-wheelers. The reaction times thus obtained was segregated and coded based on gender and the age groups of the drivers and analysed using the “Easyfit” software to arrive at the statistical parameters. The results upon analysis was studied and conclusions were drawn. The major conclusions were that the females have faster reaction times than that of male drivers and amongst the age groups, the females in all other ages except the age over 65 had slower reaction times than male drivers. General The world population continues to grow, albeit at a slower rate compared to previous decades. By 2022, it had surpassed 7.8 billion and was projected to reach over 9 billion by 2050. This growth presents challenges in terms of resource management, urbanization, and sustainability. The population’s dependency on transportation as a means of movement for various needs necessitates safe and efficient transportation facilities. There's a notable shift in transportation towards sustainable and efficient modes. Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining traction, driven by advancements in battery technology and environmental concerns. Additionally, there's increased emphasis on public transportation, cycling infrastructure, and urban planning aimed at reducing reliance on private vehicles. However, challenges such as infrastructure development, traffic congestion, and balancing accessibility with environmental impact remain prevalent globally. Amongst these entities the safety of the drivers and the passengers becomes the foremost criterion to be addressed due to the din of increased vehicle population. Increased road traffic and population creates such emotions as anxiety, fear, confusion etc. which will have an impact on the perception and volition times of the driver. The modern vehicles which come with distractions in the dashboard ergonomics add up further delays in the reaction times of the drivers when in need during emergencies. Amidst this, there is this trend of vehicles shifting from manual gearbox system to automatic gearbox which is a major factor in shifting the reaction times of the drivers during emergencies. An analysis into this phenomenon of driver behaviour with respect to gender would give an insight into the changing trends of the perception and volition times of the drivers together to be called as Driver Reaction Times (DRTs).


Keywords

GENDER BASED TRAFFIC REACTION TIME ANALYSIS OF DRIVERS WITH RESPECT TO GENDER AND AGE GROUPS OF MALE AND FEMALE DRIVERS IN INDIAN MIXED TRAFFIC CONDITIONS