HEART RATE INDEX TO DRIVER FATIGUE

HUMAN FACTORS RESEARCH HAS ARRIVED AT SOME INTERESTING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND DRIVER PERFORMANCE BASED ON ROUND-THE-CLOCK DRIVING TESTS FOR FIVE DAYS OVER A 364 MILE CIRCUIT ON A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY. RESULTS SHOW THAT: (1) A DRIVER'S HEART RATE VARIABILITY INCREASES MARKEDLY WITH CONTINUOUS DRIVING; HOWEVER, IT RECOVERS AFTER INTERPOSED REST IN PROLONGED DRIVING. (2) HEART RATE VARIABILITY MAY REFLECT VARIATIONS IN ROAD CONFIGURATION. FOR EXAMPLE, DRIVING OVER WINDING ROADS IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW HEART VARIBILITY, AND RELATIVELY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL ROADS MAY INCREASE HEART RATE VARIABILITY. (3) INCREASING TRAFFIC MAY NOT INFLUENCE HEART RATE VARIABLILTY, BUT ROAD EVENTS WHICH ARE POTENTIALLY OBSTRUCTIVE MAY SHOW A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND DRIVER ALTERTNESS. /SAE/

• Publication Date: 1972-4

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 7
• Serial:
  • SAE Journal of Automotive Engineering
  • Volume: 80
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driving; Heart; Physiological aspects; Time
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223769
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 9 1972 12:00AM