A NIGHT-DRIVING SIMULATOR FOR DRIVER-SOMNOLENCE STUDIES

THERE IS A CONSENSUS THAT A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF ROAD ACCIDENTS IS DUE ALMOST ENTIRELY TO DRIVERS HAVING "GONE TO SLEEP AT THE WHEEL." IF THE ONSET OF DRIVER-SOMNOLENCE COULD BE OBSERVED, SOME CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF SUBJECTS' BEHAVIOR MIGHT BE IDENTIFIED, THAT COULD BE USED TO GIVE AUTOMATICALLY LAST-MINUTE WARNING TO A DRIVER THAT HE WAS ON THE POINT OF "GOING TO SLEEP AT THE WHEEL." CONDITIONS AFFECTING SOMNOLENCE MIGHT BE IDENTIFIABLE, ALSO, IN SUCH STUDIES AND THIS MIGHT ENABLE DESIGN AMENDMENTS TO IMPROVE SUCH CONDITIONS. TRIALS IN WHICH A DRIVER WAS ALLOWED TO APPROACH OR REACH "SLEEP AT THE WHEEL" OF A VEHICLE WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE HAZARDOUS EVEN ON A PRIVATE TRACK. THE NEED HAS THEREFORE BEEN FELT FOR A SIMULATOR IN WHICH SUCH STUDIES COULD BE MADE SAFELY IN A LABORATORY. CHARACTERISTICALLY, DRIVERS EXPERIENCE SOMNOLENCE, AND ACCIDENTS OF THE KIND MENTIONED OCCUR, WHILE DRIVING ON ALMOST-EMPTY ROADS AT NIGHT. THEN (IN CONTRAST WITH DAYLIGHT DRIVING, ESPECIALLY IN BUSY TRAFFIC) THE DRIVER'S ATTENTION IS UNDER-ENGAGED, AND THE VISUAL STIMULI WHICH HE RECEIVES ARE FEW AND SIMPLE. THE APPARATUS TO BE DESCRIBED SIMULATES WITH GOOD REALISM THE VISUAL SENSATIONS OF DRIVING OVER AN INFINITE SMOOTH TEXTURED SURFACE IN PURSUIT OF A CAR AHEAD, IN DARKNESS COMPLETE EXCEPT FOR THE NORMAL LIGHTS OF THE VEHICLES. THE CAR AHEAD MAINTAINS A SPEED ALWAYS EQUAL TO THE SUBJECT'S SPEED (WHICH CAN BE CONTROLLED EITHER BY HIM OR BY THE EXPERIMENTER, AT THE LATTER'S OPTION). THE TASK OF "PURSUIT" IS MADE NON-TRIVIAL BY PROVIDING THAT THE SIMULATED CAR AHEAD TRAVERSES A SINUOUS, RATHER THAN A STRAIGHT PATH ACROSS THE SURFACE. THE SUBJECT'S PERFORMANCE OF THIS TASK IS MONITORED WITHOUT OBTRUSION BY MEASURING THE STEERING MOVEMENTS WHICH HE MAKES IN ORDER TO FOLLOW THE CAR AHEAD, AND/OR BY OBSERVATIONS OF THE BEARING ANGLE OF THE LATTER WHICH HE MAINTAINS.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of New South Wales

  Gate 9, High Street
  Kensington, New South Wales  Australia  2052
• Authors:
  • Milner, C J
  • Bolin, J W
• Publication Date: 1970-11

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 9 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Crash injury research; Crashes; Drivers; Night; Research; Simulation; Testing; Traffic flow
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222376
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 19 1974 12:00AM