Optic flow and geometric field of view in a driving simulator display

Conditions of high and low optic flow were generated in a display used for a driving simulator. Thirty drivers were requested to produce vehicle speeds of either 30 or 60 mph with the geometric field of view at 25, 55, or 85 visual degrees. Drivers overestimated the production of 30 by 20 mph. It was also found that the production of speed was highly dependent on the geometric field of view. These results suggest that optic flow presented in a driving simulator display does not correspond with optic flow found in real-world driving.