ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the human organism as a component in the traffic system. The Generic Intelligent Driver Support (GIDS) system will provide support in driver navigation, manoeuvring and control tasks. In terms of physical capacity, the design and layout of controls must be such that they can be easily reached and operated by all drivers. In terms of cognitive capacities, consideration must be given to information processing rates in different traffic situations for drivers of various levels of experience and of different ages, short-term memory capacities, effects of expectation on response, and decision making in the face of the inevitable false alarms and missed signals in a GIDS equipped vehicle. Demographic variables such as age, sex, occupation or income are used to classify certain driver populations for predicting the likelihood of problem behaviour such as drinking-driving. Age and experience effects are naturally confounded variables when young drivers begin to participate in traffic independently.
