Can Low Cost Road Engineering Measures Combat Driver Fatigue? A Driving Simulator Investigation

Driver fatigue is a major cause of road accidents, accounting for over 20% of serious accidents on motorways and monotonous roads in the United Kingdom. This study investigated the potential for low-cost, road-based, engineering measures to act as alerting features in an otherwise monotonous driving environment and hence combat fatigue. Thirty-three drivers took part in the driving simulator study. There was some evidence of an alerting effect provided to drivers by all three of the treatments tested: chevron road-surface markings, transverse carriageway rumble strips and variable message signs. However, the alerting effect did appear to be relatively weak and potentially quite short-lived. Nevertheless, there may well be potential for any of the novel alerts to be deployed in the field in a known fatigue-related accident area.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/139780874141627
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Iowa, Iowa City

  Public Policy Center
  227 South Quadrangle
  Iowa City, IA  United States  52242-1192
• Authors:
  • Jamson, A Hamish
  • Merat, Natasha
• Conference:
  • Driving Assessment 2009: 5th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driving Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design
  • Location: Big Sky MT, United States
  • Date: 2009-6-22 to 2009-6-25
• Publication Date: 2009

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: CD-ROM; Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: pp 251-259
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the 5th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment and Design

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alertness; Crash severity; Driver performance; Driving simulators; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Road markings; Rumble strips; Traffic crashes; Traffic engineering; Traffic safety; Variable message signs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Monotony
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01157949
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 139780874141627
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 30 2010 7:44AM