Objects May Be Closer Than They Appear

Each year, approximately 400 people die trying to beat an oncoming train at railroad crossings. More than 1,000 others are injured. Why is it that so many people misjudge the speed of an oncoming train? That's the question Theodore E. Cohn, a Berkeley professor of vision science and bioengineering, hopes to answer. Understanding why people think they can win the race at railways, Cohn says, may lead to better signals that prevent drivers from thinking they're faster than a locomotive.

"In 1985, the theory was presented that we underestimate the speed of large objects," says Cohn, a researcher with PATH (Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways). "We're finally testing that idea for the first time."

More... http://www.coe.berkeley.edu/labnotes/1003/cohn.html