Driver perception uncertainty in perceived relative speed and reaction time in car following – A quantum optical flow perspective

• Driver perception uncertainty in car following is investigated.
• Quantum mechanics in optics is utilized for modeling and analysis.
• A two-stage experimental framework is proposed and conducted for model validation.
• The correlation between uncertainties of perceived relative speed and reaction time is verified.

Driver perception uncertainty characterized in perceived relatnd reaction time plays a key role in influencing car-following behavior; and however, is rarely investigated in related literature. Grounded on quantum optical flow theory, we propose a dynamic and stochastic driver perception model to investigate the relationship between the uncertainty of perceived relative speed and that of reaction time during car following. Specifically, the proposed model hypothesizes that driver perceived speed and reaction time are time-varying and uncertain, and correlate in a trade-off relationship mimicking the form of Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. To test the assertion that a trade-off relationship of uncertainty in perceived relative speed and reaction time exists in car following, this study conducts qualitative analysis followed by a two-stage experiment rooted in quantum optical flow theory using data collected from a driver simulator. Analytical results further elucidate car-following phenomena under driver-perception uncertainty, potentially facilitating the development of new traffic flow theories.