Developing A North American Static Hazard Perception Test

The authors examined the ability of young novice (M = .19 yrs experience) and experienced drivers (M = 5.1 yrs experience) to identify and localize frequently encountered roadway hazards using static images taken in western Canada. Dependent measures also included subjective ratings of hazard risk and scene clutter. Novice drivers reacted to roadway hazards more slowly while rating them as being less hazardous than young, experienced drivers. Using a small subset of scenes, it was determined that a brief hazard perception test employing static images could classify individuals with high accuracy (78%) and good reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .91).