The contribution of visual information to human brake behaviour

In this study the contribution of visual information to the onset and control of braking in front of a stationary target vehicle was investigated. In a first experiment, participants drove a go-cart along a linear track towards a stationary vehicle, in monocular and binocular conditions. They could start braking from a distance of 4, 7, or 10 metres from the vehicle. In a second experiment, the same braking task was executed under three visual conditions: normal vision, central vision and central vision with restricted peripheral vision. No significant differences between monocular and binocular vision were reported, whereas the restriction of peripheral vision was associated with more reserved brake behaviour. The results are discussed with respect to the functional significance of visual information during braking and related to the theoretical discussion on the exact nature of the information used.