Driving Performance Evaluation Correlated to Age and Visual Acuities Based on VR Technologies

There is currently much debate regarding the effectiveness of the driver license system in South Korea, due to the numerous traffic crashes caused by drivers who are suspected of having insufficient physical and mental abilities. Through the present system, it is quite difficult to identify such drivers indirectly through physical tests, such as visual acuity tests, since the correlation of such results with driving performance remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between driving performance and visual acuities for improving the South Korean driver license system. In this study, two investigations were conducted: static and dynamic visual acuity examinations and driving performance tests based on a virtual reality (VR) system. The driving performance was evaluated with a driving simulator, based on driving behaviors in different experimental scenarios, including daytime and nighttime driving on a rural highway, and unexpected incident situations. Here, we produce statistically significant evidence that reduced visual acuity impairs driving performance, and driving behaviors differ significantly among groups with different vision capabilities, especially dynamic vision. Visual acuities, typically dynamic visual acuity, greatly influenced driving behavior, as measured by the standard deviation of speeds and vehicle LPs, and this was especially notable in curved road segments in daytime experiment. These experimental results revealed that the driving performance of participants with impaired dynamic visual acuity was deficient and unsafe. This confirmed that dynamic visual acuity levels are significant determinants of driving behavior, and they well explain driver performance levels. These findings suggest that the South Korean driver license system should include a test of dynamic visual acuity to create better and safer driving.

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Testing the Effectiveness of a Mixed-Method Pilot Intervention in Reducing Risky Driving Due to Aggression and Stress

Safety ◽

10.3390/safety6010011 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 11

Author(s):

Maria Papadakaki ◽

Nikolaos Stamou ◽

Stefanos Bessas ◽

Stavroula Lioliou ◽

Jooannes Chliaoutakis

Keyword(s):

Mixed Method ◽

Large Scale ◽

Driving Simulator ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Cognitive Restructuring ◽

Driving Performance ◽

Control Group ◽

Driving Behaviors ◽

Experiential Instruction ◽

Pilot Intervention

The study aimed at testing the effectiveness of a mixed-method pilot intervention in reducing risky self-reported driving performance, upon addressing stress and aggression while driving. The study recruited individuals who had performed these behaviors during the year preceding the study and allocated them into an intervention (n = 10) and a control group (n = 30). A pre-and postintervention evaluation design was employed to explore changes in risky self-reported driving behaviors, 12 months after the intervention. The intervention involved 2 h of experiential instruction and 1 h of cognitive restructuring using a driving simulator and scenarios appropriate for the processing of driving stress, aggression, and risk. The intervention group displayed significant improvements in the scales of “Hazard Monitoring” (p = 0.037) and “Covered Violations” (p = 0.049) at the postintervention level. No statistically significant differences were identified in terms of self-reported driving performance between the intervention and the control group at postintervention level. Launching large-scale experimental surveys with broadened cognitive restructuring approaches seems important to deepen our understanding of the behavioral change processes and increase the effectiveness of future interventions.

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Analyzing Driver Drowsiness: From Causes to Effects

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12051971 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1971 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sónia Soares ◽

Tiago Monteiro ◽

António Lobo ◽

António Couto ◽

Liliana Cunha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Driving Simulator ◽

Driving Behavior ◽

Driving Performance ◽

Physiological Characteristic ◽

Point Of View ◽

Recent Event ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Driver Drowsiness ◽

Driving Time ◽

Karolinska Sleepiness Scale

Drowsiness and fatigue are major safety issues that cannot be measured directly. Their measurements are sustained on indirect parameters such as the effects on driving performance, changes in physiological states, and subjective measures. We divided this study into two distinct lines. First, we wanted to find if any driver’s physiological characteristic, habit, or recent event could interfere with the results. Second, we aimed to analyze the effects of subjective sleepiness on driving behavior. On driving simulator experiments, the driver information and driving performance were collected, and responses to the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) were compared with these parameters. The results showed that drowsiness increases when the driver has suffered a recent stress situation, has taken medication, or has slept fewer hours. An increasing driving time is also a strong factor in drowsiness development. On the other hand, robustness, smoking habits, being older, and being a man were revealed to be factors that make the participant less prone to getting drowsy. From another point of view, the speed and lane departures increased with the sleepiness feeling. Subjective drowsiness has a great correlation to drivers’ personal aspects and the driving behavior. In addition, the KSS shows a great potential to be used as a predictor of drowsiness.

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Effects of Eco-Driving on Driving Performance

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.178-181.2859 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 178-181 ◽

pp. 2859-2862 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xiao Yu Yang ◽

Dan Li ◽

Peng Jun Zheng

Keyword(s):

Energy Saving ◽

Fuel Consumption ◽

Speed Control ◽

Driving Behavior ◽

Driving Performance ◽

Driving Behaviors

This paper investigates the effects of two driving behaviors on driving performance, the driving with eco-driving support and the general driving. Through observing and analyzing these driving behaviors in a variety of situations, driving performance under conditions of with and without eco-driving was evaluated. Based on the measurements on fuel consumption, speed control and gear use, it was found that eco-driving device can guide drivers to take proper driving behavior, such as in which way to drive and how to drive in order to achieve energy saving. The paper revealed the effects of eco-driving and how to drive efficiently.

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Isolating the Effect of Off-Road Glance Duration on Driving Performance: An Exemplar Study Comparing HDD and HUD in Different Driving Scenarios

Human Factors The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society ◽

10.1177/00187208211031416 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 001872082110314

Author(s):

Missie Smith ◽

Kiran Bagalkotkar ◽

Joseph L. Gabbard ◽

David R. Large ◽

Gary Burnett

Keyword(s):

Visual Attention ◽

User Interfaces ◽

Human Performance ◽

Driving Simulator ◽

Driving Performance ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

The Road ◽

Driving Behaviors ◽

Novel Method ◽

The Impact

Objective We controlled participants’ glance behavior while using head-down displays (HDDs) and head-up displays (HUDs) to isolate driving behavioral changes due to use of different display types across different driving environments. Background Recently, HUD technology has been incorporated into vehicles, allowing drivers to, in theory, gather display information without moving their eyes away from the road. Previous studies comparing the impact of HUDs with traditional displays on human performance show differences in both drivers’ visual attention and driving performance. Yet no studies have isolated glance from driving behaviors, which limits our ability to understand the cause of these differences and resulting impact on display design. Method We developed a novel method to control visual attention in a driving simulator. Twenty experienced drivers sustained visual attention to in-vehicle HDDs and HUDs while driving in both a simple straight and empty roadway environment and a more realistic driving environment that included traffic and turns. Results In the realistic environment, but not the simpler environment, we found evidence of differing driving behaviors between display conditions, even though participants’ glance behavior was similar. Conclusion Thus, the assumption that visual attention can be evaluated in the same way for different types of vehicle displays may be inaccurate. Differences between driving environments bring the validity of testing HUDs using simplistic driving environments into question. Application As we move toward the integration of HUD user interfaces into vehicles, it is important that we develop new, sensitive assessment methods to ensure HUD interfaces are indeed safe for driving.

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Increased visual and cognitive demands emphasize the importance of meeting visual needs at all distances while driving

10.1101/2020.12.16.20248329 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Amigale Patoine ◽

Laura Mikula ◽

Sergio Mejía-Romero ◽

Jesse Michaels ◽

Océane Keruzore ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visual Acuity ◽

Cognitive Load ◽

Driving Simulator ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Visual Quality ◽

Driving Behavior ◽

Driving Safety ◽

Quality Degradation ◽

Driving Scenario ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTHaving an optimal quality of vision as well as adequate cognitive capacities is known to be essential for driving safety. However, the interaction between vision and cognitive mechanisms while driving remains unclear. We hypothesized that, in a context of high cognitive load, reduced visual acuity would have a negative impact on driving behavior, even when the acuity corresponds to the legal threshold for obtaining a driving license in Canada, and that the impact observed on driving performance would be greater with the increase in the threshold of degradation of visual acuity. In order to investigate this relationship, we examined driving behavior in a driving simulator under optimal and reduced vision conditions through two scenarios involving different levels of cognitive demand. These were: 1. a simple rural driving scenario with some pre-programmed events and 2. a highway driving scenario accompanied by a concurrent task involving the use of a navigation device. Two groups of visual quality degradation (lower/ higher) were evaluated according to their driving behavior. The results support the hypothesis: Driving behavior was less stable under reduced visual quality in the context of a high cognitive load and this effect was exacerbated when visual quality was more severely altered. These results support the idea that visual quality degradation impacts driving behavior when combined with a high mental workload driving environment while specifying that this impact is not present in the context of low cognitive load driving condition.

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Driving Simulator Validity of Driving Behavior in Work Zones

Journal of Advanced Transportation ◽

10.1155/2020/4629132 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Yanning Zhang ◽

Zhongyin Guo ◽

Zhi Sun

Keyword(s):

Delay Time ◽

Driving Simulator ◽

Driving Behavior ◽

Controlled Environment ◽

Analysis Method ◽

Work Zones ◽

Relative Validity ◽

Car Following ◽

Driving Behaviors ◽

Driving Scenario

Driving simulation is an efficient, safe, and data-collection-friendly method to examine driving behavior in a controlled environment. However, the validity of a driving simulator is inconsistent when the type of the driving simulator or the driving scenario is different. The purpose of this research is to verify driving simulator validity in driving behavior research in work zones. A field experiment and a corresponding simulation experiment were conducted to collect behavioral data. Indicators such as speed, car-following distance, and reaction delay time were chosen to examine the absolute and relative validity of the driving simulator. In particular, a survival analysis method was proposed in this research to examine the validity of reaction delay time. The result indicates the following: (1) most indicators are valid in driving behavior research in the work zone. For example, spot speed, car-following distance, headway, and reaction delay time show absolute validity. (2) Standard deviation of the car-following distance shows relative validity. Consistent with previous researches, some driving behaviors appear to be more aggressive in the simulation environment.

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Glaucomatous visual fields and neurocognitive function are independently associated with poor lane maintenance during driving simulation

BMC Ophthalmology ◽

10.1186/s12886-020-01682-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

David E. Anderson ◽

John P. Bader ◽

Emily A. Boes ◽

Meghal Gagrani ◽

Lynette M. Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Driving Simulator ◽

Vehicle Control ◽

Driving Behavior ◽

Driving Performance ◽

Driving Simulation ◽

Sensor Data ◽

Lateral Acceleration ◽

Steering Wheel ◽

Neurocognitive Performance ◽

Loss Severity

Abstract Background Driving simulators are a safe alternative to on-road vehicles for studying driving behavior in glaucoma drivers. Visual field (VF) loss severity is associated with higher driving simulator crash risk, though mechanisms explaining this relationship remain unknown. Furthermore, associations between driving behavior and neurocognitive performance in glaucoma are unexplored. Here, we evaluated the hypothesis that VF loss severity and neurocognitive performance interact to influence simulated vehicle control in glaucoma drivers. Methods Glaucoma patients (n = 25) and suspects (n = 18) were recruited into the study. All had > 20/40 corrected visual acuity in each eye and were experienced field takers with at least three stable (reliability > 20%) fields over the last 2 years. Diagnosis of neurological disorder or cognitive impairment were exclusion criteria. Binocular VFs were derived from monocular Humphrey VFs to estimate a binocular VF index (OU-VFI). Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was administered to assess global and sub-domain neurocognitive performance. National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) was administered to assess peripheral vision and driving difficulties sub-scores. Driving performance was evaluated using a driving simulator with a 290° panoramic field of view constructed around a full-sized automotive cab. Vehicle control metrics, such as lateral acceleration variability and steering wheel variability, were calculated from vehicle sensor data while patients drove on a straight two-lane rural road. Linear mixed models were constructed to evaluate associations between driving performance and clinical characteristics. Results Patients were 9.5 years older than suspects (p = 0.015). OU-VFI in the glaucoma group ranged from 24 to 98% (85.6 ± 18.3; M ± SD). OU-VFI (p = .0066) was associated with MoCA total (p = .0066) and visuo-spatial and executive function sub-domain scores (p = .012). During driving simulation, patients showed greater steering wheel variability (p = 0.0001) and lateral acceleration variability (p < .0001) relative to suspects. Greater steering wheel variability was independently associated with OU-VFI (p = .0069), MoCA total scores (p = 0.028), and VFQ driving sub-scores (p = 0.0087), but not age (p = 0.61). Conclusions Poor vehicle control was independently associated with greater VF loss and worse neurocognitive performance, suggesting both factors contribute to information processing models of driving performance in glaucoma. Future research must demonstrate the external validity of current findings to on-road performance in glaucoma.

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Aging: Older Adults’ Driving Behavior Using Longitudinal and Lateral Warning Systems

Human Factors The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society ◽

10.1177/0018720819864510 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 229-248 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dustin J. Souders ◽

Neil Charness ◽

Nelson A. Roque ◽

Hellen Pham

Keyword(s):

Driving Simulator ◽

Driving Behavior ◽

Driving Performance ◽

Older Drivers ◽

Critical Event ◽

Warning Systems ◽

Driver Assistance Systems ◽

Subjective Workload ◽

Concurrent Use ◽

Forward Collision Warning

Objective This study assessed older drivers’ driving behavior when using longitudinal and lateral vehicle warning systems together. Background Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can benefit drivers of all ages. Previous research with younger to middle-aged samples suggests that safety benefits are not necessarily additive with additional ADAS. Increases in following distance associated with the use of forward collision warning (FCW) decreased when drivers also used lane departure warning (LDW), likely due to attending to the LDW more than the FCW. Method The current study used a driving simulator to provide 128 older drivers experience with FCW and/or LDW system(s) during a ~25-min drive to gauge their usage’s effects on driving performance and subjective workload. Results There were no significant differences found in headway distance between older drivers who used different combinations of FCW and LDW systems, but those who used an FCW system showed significantly longer time-to-collision (TTC) when approaching the critical event than those who did not. Users of LDW systems did not show reductions in standard deviation of lane position. Analyses of subjective workload measures showed no significant differences between conditions. Conclusion Findings suggest that FCW could increase older drivers’ TTC over the course of a drive. Contrary to previous findings in younger samples, concurrent use of FCW and LDW systems did not adversely affect older drivers’ longitudinal driving performance and subjective workload. Application Potential applications of this research include the assessment of older drivers’ use of vehicle warning systems and their effects on subjective workload.

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Positive Bias in Teenage Drivers With ADHD Within a Simulated Driving Task

Journal of Attention Disorders ◽

10.1177/1087054715616186 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (12) ◽

pp. 1150-1157 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Gregory A. Fabiano ◽

Nicole K. Schatz ◽

Kevin F. Hulme ◽

Karen L. Morris ◽

Rebecca K. Vujnovic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Driving Simulator ◽

Behavior Disorder ◽

Driving Performance ◽

Driving Ability ◽

Disruptive Behavior Disorder ◽

Global Rating ◽

Positive Bias ◽

Driving Behaviors ◽

Teenage Drivers ◽

Youth With Adhd

Objective: Youth with ADHD exhibit positive bias, an overestimation of ability, relative to external indicators. The positive bias construct is understudied in adolescents, particularly in the domain of driving. Study is needed as youth with ADHD experience greater negative outcomes in driving relative to typically developing teens. Method: Positive bias on a driving simulator task was investigated with 172 teenagers with ADHD, combined type. Youth participated in a driving simulation task and rated driving performance afterward. Results: Compared with external ratings of driving performance, youth overestimated driving competence for specific driving behaviors as well as globally. The global rating demonstrated a greater degree of positive bias. Greater positive bias on global ratings of driving ability also predicted greater rates of risky driving behaviors during the simulator exercise independent from disruptive behavior disorder symptoms. Conclusion: Results inform prevention and intervention efforts for teenage drivers with ADHD.

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Influence of Landscape Design on Driving Behavior Based on Slope Illusion

Journal of Advanced Transportation ◽

10.1155/2022/6407145 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 2022 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Hao Li ◽

Yueyang Zhang

Keyword(s):

Simulation Experiment ◽

Driving Simulator ◽

Lateral Position ◽

Driving Behavior ◽

Driving Safety ◽

Plant Spacing ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Driving Behaviors ◽

Speed Perception ◽

Driving Stability

In a continuous downhill section of a mountain highway, factors such as road alignment, roadside environment, and other visual characteristics will impact the slope illusion drivers experience and engage in unsafe driving behaviors. To improve the negative consequences of slope illusion and driving safety in continuous downhill sections, the effects of plant spacing, height, roadside distance, and color on driving behavior were all studied by simulating the plant landscape in a virtual environment. A driving simulator and UC-win/road software were used to conduct an indoor driving simulation experiment, and parameters such as speed and lateral position offset were used as the evaluation indices of driving stability to reflect the driver’s speed perception ability with subjective equivalent speeds. The results show that a plant landscape with appropriate plant spacing, height, roadside separation, and color is conducive to improving driving stability. Furthermore, a landscape with a height of 3 m, spacing of 10 m, roadside spacing of 0.75 m, and appropriate color matching can enhance the slope perception ability and speed perception ability of drivers, which is conducive to improving the driving safety of continuous downhill sections.

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