Nightime Speed Negotiation on RuralRoad S-Shaped Curves: Discussion of anExperimental Case-Study

Road users’ perception of risk while driving is the focal point discriminating prudent from imprudent behavior. One of the main factors that can influence a driver’s level of risk perception is ‘lighting’, given that the driving conditions on roads alter radically between daytime and nighttime hours. This paper describes the results of a study conducted along a section of rural road containing a sharp S-shaped curve linking two long rectilinear approach roads in the sequence ‘tangent-curve-tangent’. The driving behavior of the road users was surveyed in both directions of travel by day and at night, demonstrating a notable discrepancy in driving style between the two conditions.