Capabilities of Humans for Vehicle Guidance

Human information processing systems, as well as the individual driver characteristics interacting reciprocally with them, are particularly significant for the task of vehicle guidance. This chapter will describe these connections between driver, vehicle and environment using a simple system model. The driver’s intake, processing and output of information will be delineated. The relevant driver characteristics, capacities and skills for vehicle guidance will be described. Based on this understanding, requirements for vehicle guidance with regards to the driver will be systematized by considering subtasks and evaluated with respect to the limits of human capacity.