Forensic Aspects of Driver Perception and Response, Third Edition

Paul Olson is considered to be the leading expert in the field of driver perception and response. This text is the second edition of a best-selling reference that Olson first published in 1996. As with the first edition, this book's subject matter is simple: what could or should a driver see under a given set of circumstances, and given those circumstances, how long does it (or should it) take the driver to respond? Any attorney practicing litigation in which "human factors" such as these are involved needs this text. This book is cogent, easily understandable and accessible. It also contains source material for further study. It is divided into 15 chapters with topics ranging from "conspicuity" ("those characteristics of an object or condition that determine the likelihood that it will come to the attention of an observer who does not expect it to be there"), to "expectancy" ("a predisposition of people to believe that things will happen or be arranged in a certain way" to "driver perception-response time." The second edition expands and adds new source material to many chapters and includes two new topics not discussed in the first edition. Chapter five, "Driver Eye Movements and Visual Attention," and chapter eight, "The Driver's Field of View," were not included in the first edition. The topics covered in this book are helpful to attorneys handling cases in which driver perception and response are at issue. This book is particularly helpful in Wisconsin when dealing with issues involving obstructed vision (Wis JI-Civil 1310), obstructed vision: nighttime (Wis JI-Civil 1315), and camouflage (Wis JI-Civil 1320). The authors mix technical information with real-life examples to make this book equally accessible to those who are technically oriented and those who are not. Many times, attorneys make quick assumptions in accident cases base upon "common sense," for example, "How could my client have missed this obvoius danger?" We sometimes fail to consider subtle, but important, factors in deciding how to attack a particular set of facts. As a primary source of information on ways to look at cases in a new light, and as a great source of knowledge on these issues, this book is highly recommended.

Forensic Aspects of Driver Perception and Response was written specifically for accident reconstructionists and the lawyers who hire them in auto cases. Author Paul L. Olson, a Ph.D. in Industrial Psychology, headed the human factors division of the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute from 1975 to 1993 and now works as a litigation consultant. Olson ably serves his readers in this well researched and concisely organized text. After a brief summary of the fundamentals of vision he zeros in on the factors affecting a driver's perception of the highway environment. These include exterior and interior lighting conditions, visual illusions, reflectivity, speed perception and driver expectancy. He then examines driver response time, including the effects of drug and alcohol, fatigue, age and gender. And he rounds out the book with helpful chapters on nighttime visibility, field evaluation and problems in the use of nighttime photography in litigation. ...this volume is an important resource for any lawyer with a significant auto-accident practice or a difficult case that needs additional consideration.

Auto accident cases are pretty straightforward, right? Wrong. There is a huge confluence of factors that can lead to accidents, many of which the average lawyer has never contemplated when handling such a case. Consider such hazards as inadequate roadway illumination; poorly aimed headlights; oncoming traffic glare and improper reflector use. These and more are explained in great detail in these two books. Whether you're the plaintiff's or defense lawyer in an auto accident case, they provide a wealth of data that is extremely useful in understanding how an accident occurred, and thus in determining fault. Forensic Aspects of Driver Perception and Response was written specifically for accident reconstructionists and the lawyers who hire them in auto cases. Author Paul L. Olson, a Ph.D. in Industrial Psychology, headed the human factors division of the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute from 1975 to 1993 and now works as a litigation consultant. Olson ably serves his readers in this well researched and concisely organized text. After a brief summary of the fundamentals of vision he zeros in on the factors affecting a driver's perception of the highway environment. These include exterior and interior lighting conditions, visual illusions, reflectivity, speed perception and driver expectancy. He then examines driver response time, including the effects of drug and alcohol, fatigue, age and gender. And he rounds out the book with helpful chapters on nighttime visibility, field evaluation and problems in the use of nighttime photography in litigation. ...this volume is an important resource for any lawyer with a significant auto-accident practice or a difficult case that needs additional consideration. Equally valuable is the second volume, Forensic Aspects of Vision and Highway Safety. Especially useful to the trial attorney is the chapter on "Forensic Vision and Human Factors in the courtroom," which guides lawyers through the basics of vision analysis and its role in understanding highway deaths and injuries. Lead author Merill J. Allen,...has served as an expert in more than 600 lawsuits, testifying on the role of visual factors and alcohol in motor vehicle accidents. Allen describes so many vision problems facting today's drivers-related to the auto, the highway, and the drivers themselves that it seems almost miraculous that most car trips don't end in head-on collisions. Overall, the book is a useful guide for trial lawyers and expert witnesses who need to understand and explain the visual factors behind the serious auto accidents.

The material is logically organized and easy to follow. Each chapter stands on its own, and can be read to get an excellent overview of any of the specific topics. This is an excellent and easily understood book.

The greatest strength of this book is Paul Olson's constant theme that life rarely reflects the test conditions . . . . It will make a useful addition to the library of any accident investigator who wants or needs to go beyond determining speed.