Quantitative Method for Estimating Driver Eye Height

Abstract

The issue of what drivers can or cannot see while operating their vehicle is critical for avoiding roadway hazards. One factor is eye-height, which although varies between individuals, is often not available to measure directly. We present a method of calculating driver eye-height using an anthropometry dataset as well as vehicle specifications obtained from online resources. In this study, participants sat in various passenger vehicles and had their seated eye-height measured, which was then compared to their calculated eye-height. Results suggest that our methodology is accurate for larger passenger vehicles, though it slightly underestimates driver eye-height for smaller passenger vehicles. Implications for these results, as well as directions for future studies are discussed in the paper.