Public Roads: A Journal of Highway Research, Vol. 31, No. 3

Michaels, Richard M.; Taragin, Asriel; Rudy, Burton M.; Hopkins, Richard C. · 1960 · ROSA P / United States. Government Printing Office

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Summary

This 1960 study by Richard M. Michaels investigates whether driver tension responses can serve as a reliable metric for analyzing highway and traffic characteristics. Motivated by the need to move beyond aggregate traffic measurements, the research hypothesizes that the frequency and complexity of driving decisions induce measurable physiological tension, which varies based on street and traffic conditions. The study employs the galvanic skin reflex (GSR) to quantify this tension, linking physiological responses to specific traffic events that force drivers to alter speed or lateral position. The experimental design involved ten driver-subjects who drove two distinct urban routes in Washington, D.C., 25 times each over a two-week period. Route 1 was a major arterial street with commercial activity and streetcar platforms, while Route 2 was a residential alternate route with bus service. GSR was recorded continuously using electrodes on the drivers' fingers, while an observer independently coded traffic interferences. These interferences were categorized into eight types, including instream vehicles, pedestrians, parking maneuvers, and traffic signals. The study analyzed data across five traffic periods: morning and afternoon peak hours, morning and afternoon off-peak hours, and nighttime. Statistical analyses, including analysis of variance and rank tests, were used to compare tension levels between routes, directions, and traffic events. The results demonstrated that GSR reliably discriminated between the two routes. Route 1 induced significantly higher tension, with events occurring every 29.2 seconds compared to 41.4 seconds on Route 2. Overall, Route 1 was 45 percent more tension-inducing per unit of time. Across both routes, 85 percent of observed traffic events generated a measurable GSR response. Instream vehicles were the most frequent cause of tension, accounting for 69 percent of all responses. However, the highest magnitude of tension was induced by merging and crossing vehicles, followed by opposing vehicles on the residential route. Traffic period analysis revealed that peak hours generally increased tension, particularly regarding pedestrian interactions on the arterial route, while off-peak hours saw higher tension in specific commercial sections due to marginal activity and narrow street widths. The study concludes that driver behavior, measured via GSR, is a valid instrument for distinguishing highway characteristics and traffic friction. It confirms that urban driving imposes a consistent frequency of stress on drivers, with tension levels varying predictably based on street type, traffic density, and specific conflict types. This approach offers a method for evaluating the operational quality of streets from the driver’s perspective, highlighting the psychological impact of traffic design and flow.

Key finding

Eighty-five percent of observed traffic events generated measurable galvanic skin responses, with instream vehicles causing over 69 percent of all responses and merging or crossing vehicles inducing the highest average tension magnitude.

Methodology

naturalistic

Sample size: 10

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• roadway lighting effects
• traffic density
• perceptual countermeasures
• rail grade crossings
• exposure measurement
• naturalistic crash near crash

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, behavioral performance data
• Methodological Resource: dataset resource