Human factors is an interdisciplinary behavioural science that seeks to understand how people perform under different circumstances. This webinar provides a detailed understanding of how road users would react in a road tunnel emergency situation that required evacuation. For example, a common reaction would be panic which is an exaggerated form of the fight-or-flight response, in which the perception of immediate danger triggers a cascade of physiological and psychological responses. While panic seems to arise automatically, it’s actually a response to a quick assessment of danger, accompanied by thoughts such as “I am going to die…. I can’t handle this…. I don’t know what to do…. There’s no way out….”.
This webinar explores if road users are in a panicked state, would they be able to use the existing standard evacuation equipment to aid their escape and identifies any potential issues that require mitigation intervention. This webinar is based on research recently conducted by the WSP human factors team in relation to a road tunnel in North Wales.
Presenter:
Kathy Wilson-Ellis - Human Factors Associate/Deputy Regional Lead, WSP in the UK