WHAT motor-vehicle operators want with respect to safety in vehicle design is summarized in this paper, submitted as a preliminary report of Subcommittee D-7 of the SAE Transportation & Maintenance Activity's program.
Discussing the characteristics of vehicle design that make them hard to drive, fatiguing to operate, difficult to maintain, and disliked by drivers and mechanics, and the remedies thereof, the author takes up first cabs with poor visibility and with insufficient headroom for driver comfort. Continuing, he takes up factors that cause drivers to fall asleep and over-violent pitching of the cabs, and presents the results of a careful study made to find the optimum location for mirrors. Heating and ventilation, location and operation of controls with emphasis on braking and safe vehicle lighting are other important subjects discussed in this paper.
