Education on Looking Based on Human Characteristics

Train drivers need to look ahead, while checking various instruments, such as speedometers and timetables, to respond to each moment’s changes and ensure the safety of the train. When humans look at something, we detect it... [ view full abstract ]

Train drivers need to look ahead, while checking various instruments, such as speedometers and timetables, to respond to each moment’s changes and ensure the safety of the train. When humans look at something, we detect it with our eyes and then comprehend it with our brains. At JR West, we have created effective education that uses our knowledge of human factors to deepen trainees’ understanding of what looking involves. 

The human field of vision can be broken down into three parts: direct vision, effective vision and peripheral vision. It is important for an object be in the effective field of vision in order to detect it, so we deepened trainees’ understanding of this by providing examples where they could recognize this for themselves. To allow them to check instruments based on this awareness, we developed educational contents to help trainees understand the optimal way to adjust their line of sight, so that they could detect items during actual situations where they would need to take their eyes off the view ahead while driving.  Next, humans use their brains to comprehend what their eyes have seen. Trainees experienced specific situations where their brains were unable to perform this comprehension process. Through this experience, trainees gained a deeper understanding of human psychological traits and learned the importance of reducing anxiety and keeping some leeway in the mind so that they can accurately comprehend what they are seeing in actual driving situations.