Search

Patients with epilepsy often require long‐term treatment with antiseizure medications, and their impact on daily activities, particularly driving, is of significant concern. The recently published "Guideline for Evaluating Effects of Psychotropic Drugs on the Performance to Drive a Motor Vehicle" in Japan provides a framework that can be referred to for not only the evaluation of new drugs but also the reevaluation of approved drugs. This study conducted a literature review regarding the effects of carbamazepine, valproate, lamotrigine, lacosamide, and levetiracetam, which are frequently prescribed for epilepsy, on driving performance following the guideline's tiered evaluation approach. Analyses of pharmacological, pharmacodynamic, and adverse events suggested that these drugs primarily affect arousal function. Driving studies showed that acute administration of carbamazepine, but not chronic monotherapy with carbamazepine, valproate, lamotrigine, and levetiracetam, significantly impairs driving performance. Epidemiological studies have not identified a definitive association between these drugs and traffic accidents. Initial administration of these five antiseizure medications may affect driving performance, warranting special attention, but the influence appears to diminish with continued use. Nevertheless, while long‐term administration of these five drugs may not have a clinically meaningful effect on driving performance, safe driving is not guaranteed for each individual patient, and appropriate individualized guidance is important in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like inattention, dysregulated emotions can seriously distract motorists and disrupt their driving performance. The current review examined the literature on emotion regulation to find relevant strategies for managing intense emotions while driving a motor vehicle. Next, we considered whether those relevant strategies could be used to design future affective automotive interfaces. Results suggested that problem-solving, task-focused coping, mindfulness, and relaxation effectively regulate emotions while driving. These findings highlight that some strategies may be effective but costly to implement while driving (cognitive reappraisal and distraction), which need to be better understood before implementing them into automotive interfaces. Together, these findings suggest the potential benefits of embedding self-regulatory interventions in future automotive interfaces that can help maintain an optimal affective state to reduce distraction and improve safe driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The synergistic effect of ADHD and technology-based distractions on driving performance was investigated. • Using radio system led to increase the number of collisions, reaction time, and lateral deviation of the vehicle. • Engaging in a secondary task while driving resulted in decreased situational awareness and driving performance. • The ADHD and technology-based distractions had a synergistic impact on driving performance. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic effect of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and technology-based distraction on driving performance. In this study, using a simulator radio system was considered as a technology-based distraction factor. Driving performance was measured using three parameters: the number of collisions with obstacles, reaction time, and lateral deviation of the car. Participants were divided into case and control groups based on their scores from the Connors Adult ADHD Disorder Questionnaire. They participated in driving experiments under two scenarios: 1) without interacting with the radio system, and 2) while interacting with the radio system. The findings revealed that interacting with the radio system led to a significant increase in the number of collisions, reaction time, and lateral deviation (P-value < 0.05). ADHD, in combination with the distraction factor (working with the radio system) while driving, had a significant impact on increasing the number of collisions and reaction time (P-value < 0.05). However, it did not have a significant effect on the degree of lateral deviation (P-value > 0.05). Engaging in a secondary task (working with the radio system) while driving reduced the driver's situational awareness and impaired cognitive function, resulting in an increase in the number of collisions, reaction time, and lateral deviation. The distraction factor exacerbated the already poor concentration and attention of individuals with ADHD, further impairing their decision-making and driving reactions. Therefore, ADHD and technology-based distractions had a synergistic effect on driving performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• While driving, drivers engage in a range of secondary activities that affect their performance. • When driving in a simple environment, listening to audiobooks may improve performance. • The working memory capacity of drivers and the text complexity of audiobooks have an impact on the outcomes. • Headway variability, steering, and brake response times are all improved by listening to a simple audiobook. • Steering variability and braking times are increased when listening to complex audiobooks. • Drivers with higher working memory capacities benefit the most, but only for simple audiobooks. Drivers engage in a variety of secondary activities while driving. Research suggests that many secondary tasks interfere with driving, making performance worse as compared to single-task driving, but a recent study suggests that in simple environments (low scenery and traffic) listening to an audiobook may actually benefit driving performance. Nonetheless, these effects may vary based on both the textual complexity of the audiobook and the working memory capacity of the driver. In this study, we used a driving simulator to compare single-task driving with that when the driver was listening to an audiobook (dual-task). We manipulated the complexity of the audiobook as measured by Lexile scores (a standard index of text difficulty). Licensed drivers did two 30-minute drives on simple roads, alternating between driving while listening to an audiobook (dual-task) or single-task driving. Drivers did one drive with the simple and the other with the complex audiobook (order counterbalanced). Listening to the simple audiobook improved driving performance as compared to single-task driving: braking response times to hazards were lower, as were steering and headway variability. Conversely, listening to the complex audiobook interfered with driving; braking times to hazards and steering variability were higher when drivers were listening to the audiobook than for single-task driving. Individual differences in working memory capacity as measured by the OSPAN (Operation Span) predicted how much listening to an audiobook benefitted performance, with the highest OSPAN scorers benefitting most, though these OSPAN -related differential benefits were restricted to reduced hazard response times while listening to the simple audiobook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Driving performance and pedestrian interactions predict driver situation awareness. • One-second windows predict pedestrian direction; three-second windows predict location and intention. • Mixed effects logit models used to examine perception, comprehension, and projection levels. • Study uses Balanced Incomplete Block Design with 56 participants in a driving simulator. • Findings enhance understanding of alert prioritization and predictive modeling in driving contexts. Evaluating drivers' situation awareness (SA) is important in the implementation of alert prioritization. This study investigates the relationship between driving performance measures (speed, acceleration and brake usage, steering wheel and lane deviation), pedestrian interaction (location, direction and motion), and driver SA. To achieve this, a controlled study was conducted with 56 participants using a Balanced Incomplete Block Design, where each participant drove 18 out of 48 possible intersections in a driving simulator environment. The Situational Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) method was used to assess drivers' SA. Mixed effects logit models were developed to examine the different SA Levels (perception, comprehension, projection). The driving performance measures were aggregated across three time windows (1, 3, and 5 s). The findings show significant contributions from both driving performance measures and pedestrian interactions in predicting driver SA. More specifically, a one-second time window was useful for predicting pedestrian direction and a three-second time window was best for predicting pedestrian location and intention to cross. The results indicate the importance of considering different time windows for predicting various levels of driver SA responses. These findings offer insights into factors to be considered in driver SA predictive models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Methylphenidate is a routinely prescribed treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with misuse potential owing to its perceived performance-enhancing and euphoric properties. Although clinically effective, there is limited understanding of how methylphenidate affects safety-sensitive tasks such as driving when used by healthy individuals. Aim: Explore the acute effects of 10 mg methylphenidate on driving performance and gaze behaviour. Methods: Twenty-five fully licensed, healthy adults (mean age = 33.5 ± 7.8 years, 64% male) took part in two 40-min simulated highway drives with simultaneous eye movements monitored using a proprietary automotive-grade driver monitoring system (Seeing Machines). Driving performance was assessed using the standard deviation of lateral position, standard deviation of speed and steering variability. Visual scanning efficiency was determined using ocular metrics, such as fixation duration and rate, gaze transition entropy, and stationary gaze entropy, were assessed to determine visual scanning efficiency. Results: Methylphenidate significantly improved driving performance by reducing lane weaving and speed variation, particularly in the latter half of the drive. Although a significant reduction in fixation duration was observed, all other ocular metrics remained unchanged. Conclusions: Methylphenidate mitigates performance decrements typically associated with prolonged and monotonous driving. The absence of pronounced oculomotor effects suggests that a single 10 mg dose of methylphenidate has no deleterious impact on visual scanning behaviour during driving tasks with low-to-moderate cognitive demand. Future research should investigate the effects of methylphenidate under various dosing and driving conditions to better understand its impact. Trial Registration: ACTRN12620000499987. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the impact of monitoring instructions when using an automated driving system (ADS) and road obstructions on post take-over performance in near-miss scenarios. Background: Past research indicates partial ADS reduces the driver's situation awareness and degrades post take-over performance. Connected vehicle technology may alert drivers to impending hazards in time to safely avoid near-miss events. Method: Forty-eight licensed drivers using ADS were randomly assigned to either the active driving or passive driving condition. Participants navigated eight scenarios with or without a visual obstruction in a distributed driving simulator. The experimenter drove the other simulated vehicle to manually cause near-miss events. Participants' mean longitudinal velocity, standard deviation of longitudinal velocity, and mean longitudinal acceleration were measured. Results: Participants in passive ADS group showed greater, and more variable, deceleration rates than those in the active ADS group. Despite a reliable audiovisual warning, participants failed to slow down in the red-light running scenario when the conflict vehicle was occluded. Participant's trust in the automated driving system did not vary between the beginning and end of the experiment. Conclusion: Drivers interacting with ADS in a passive manner may continue to show increased and more variable deceleration rates in near-miss scenarios even with reliable connected vehicle technology. Future research may focus on interactive effects of automated and connected driving technologies on drivers' ability to anticipate and safely navigate near-miss scenarios. Application: Designers of automated and connected vehicle technologies may consider different timing and types of cues to inform the drivers of imminent hazard in high-risk scenarios for near-miss events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractHead-up displays (HUDs) enable drivers to receive additional information while maintaining a forward view of the road. However, due to human cognitive resource limitations, improper HUD interface design can pose safety risks, especially when multiple pieces of information are presented simultaneously. This study involved 45 participants and conducted two driving simulation experiments. Study 1 explored the impact of different HUD interface positions on driver cognitive performance in single cognitive task conditions. Study 2 validated the findings of Study 1 under multiple cognitive task conditions and further compared drivers’ cognitive performance, workload, driving operation, and eye movement between grouped and disordered information layouts on the HUD. The results indicated that the central area of the HUD interface provided the best cognitive performance, followed by the left side, with the right side performing the poorest. Grouped information layouts on the HUD proved superior to disordered layouts in terms of cognitive performance, workload, driving operation, and eye movement. An XGBoost regression model was proposed to predict the drivers’ comprehensive cognitive responses. This study could provide empirical evidence and practical recommendations for HUD interface design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Using benzodiazepines and certain antidepressants is associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes due to impaired driving skills. Hence, several countries prohibit people who use these drugs from driving. Traffic regulations for driving under the influence of these drugs are, however, largely based on single-dose studies with healthy participants. The effects of drugs on chronic users may be different because of potential development of tolerance or by adapting behavior. In this study, we test the effects of anti-depressants, hypnotics, or anxiolytics use on driving performance in patients who use these drugs for different durations and compare the effects to healthy controls' performance. Methods: Sixty-six healthy controls and 82 medication users were recruited to perform four drives in a driving simulator. Patients were divided into groups that used anti-depressants, hypnotics, or anxiolytics, for shorter or longer than 3 years (i.e. LT3− or LT3+, respectively). The minimum term of use was 6 months. Driving behavior was measured in terms of longitudinal and lateral control (speed variability and Standard Deviation of Lateral Position: SDLP), brake reaction time, and time headway. Impaired driving performance was defined as performing similar to driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.5‰ or higher, determined by means of non-inferiority analyses. Results: Reaction time analyses revealed inconclusive findings in all groups. No significant performance differences between matched healthy controls, LT3− (n = 2), and LT3+ (n = 8) anxiolytics users were found. LT3+ antidepressants users (n = 12) did not perform inferior to their matched controls in terms of SDLP. LT3− hypnotics users (n = 6) showed more speed variability than their matched healthy controls, while this effect was not found for the LT3+ group (n = 14): the latter did not perform inferior to the healthy controls. Regarding Time Headway, no conclusions about the LT3− hypnotics group could be drawn, while the LT3+ group did not perform inferior compared to the control group. Conclusions: The small number of anxiolytics users prohibits drawing conclusions about clinical relevance. Although many outcomes were inconclusive, there is evidence that some elements of complex driving performance may not be impaired (anymore) after using antidepressants or hypnotics longer than 3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A granary robot with screw‐drive mechanisms can perfectly adapt to a loose grain terrain. The design of the helical wheels is significant for the driving performance of this robot. Because this robot moves due to the action of the blade on the grain, the parameters of the helical blade are especially important among all factors. Therefore, to determine the effect of blades on the performance of a screw‐drive granary robot, a screw robot–corn coupling model is established based on the coupling of the discrete element method and multibody dynamics. The model can analyze the interaction of the screw wheel with the grain particles. Then a robot with two helical wheels is designed, manufactured, and tested to verify the accuracy of the coupling model. The cosimulation created with this model has good accuracy compared with the experiment, and the mean relative errors of sinkage, velocity, and slip ratio are 3.43%, 1.21%, and 13.87%, respectively. Finally, the effects of the height, axial length, helix angle, and number of screw blades on the driving performance of the robot are studied with single‐factor simulations. The trends of the torque, slip, and drawbar efficiency varying with these parameters of the screw blade are obtained, which can provide critical insights for the preliminary design of a screwed granary robot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Patients with epilepsy often require long‐term treatment with antiseizure medications, and their impact on daily activities, particularly driving, is of significant concern. The recently published “Guideline for Evaluating Effects of Psychotropic Drugs on the Performance to Drive a Motor Vehicle” in Japan provides a framework that can be referred to for not only the evaluation of new drugs but also the reevaluation of approved drugs. This study conducted a literature review regarding the effects of carbamazepine, valproate, lamotrigine, lacosamide, and levetiracetam, which are frequently prescribed for epilepsy, on driving performance following the guideline's tiered evaluation approach. Analyses of pharmacological, pharmacodynamic, and adverse events suggested that these drugs primarily affect arousal function. Driving studies showed that acute administration of carbamazepine, but not chronic monotherapy with carbamazepine, valproate, lamotrigine, and levetiracetam, significantly impairs driving performance. Epidemiological studies have not identified a definitive association between these drugs and traffic accidents. Initial administration of these five antiseizure medications may affect driving performance, warranting special attention, but the influence appears to diminish with continued use. Nevertheless, while long‐term administration of these five drugs may not have a clinically meaningful effect on driving performance, safe driving is not guaranteed for each individual patient, and appropriate individualized guidance is important in clinical practice.

• Increased situation awareness (SA) is often associated with safer driving. • A normative interpretation of SA in relation to safe driving is lacking. • Experts provide views on moving from relative to normative interpretations of SA. • The potential of an SA criterion for safe or unsafe driving is discussed. • Suggestions for the selection and weighting of SA requirements are presented. The use of situation awareness (SA) measures to assess relative safety in driving is common, with higher levels of SA being interpreted as safer. These relative interpretations do not allow researchers to determine whether the level of SA could be considered "safe" or "unsafe". In contrast to such interpretations based on relative performance, the current position paper explores the potential for a normative interpretation of situation awareness with regard to safety assessment in driving. A series of expert interviews yielded viewpoints on the current relation between SA and safe driving, theoretical underpinnings for a normative approach, and potential actions towards an SA criterion for safe or unsafe driving. Methodological challenges regarding a normative approach are discussed together with considerations towards a weighted criterion-based approach to SA. The selection of SA requirements relevant for safety and the differentiation and weighting of these requirements on high and lower importance is presented. A method towards objective determination of relevance and weight of SA requirements may increase the usefulness of SA measures for assessment of safety in a driving context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis and its major constituents, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), are being widely used to treat sleep disturbances. However, THC can cause acute cognitive and psychomotor impairment and there are concerns that driving and workplace safety might be compromised the day after evening use. Here, we examined possible 'next day' impairment following evening administration of a typical medicinal cannabis oil in adults with insomnia disorder, compared to matched placebo. This paper describes the secondary outcomes of a larger study investigating the effects of THC/CBD on insomnia disorder. Twenty adults [16 female; mean (SD) age, 46.1 (8.6) y] with physician-diagnosed insomnia who infrequently use cannabis completed two 24 h in-laboratory visits involving acute oral administration of combined 10 mg THC and 200 mg CBD ('THC/CBD') or placebo in a randomised, double-blind, crossover trial design. Outcome measures included 'next day' (≥9 h post-treatment) performance on cognitive and psychomotor function tasks, simulated driving performance, subjective drug effects, and mood. We found no differences in 'next day' performance on 27 out of 28 tests of cognitive and psychomotor function and simulated driving performance relative to placebo. THC/CBD produced a small decrease (-1.4%, p=.016, d=-0.6) in accuracy on the Stroop-Colour Task (easy/congruent) but not the Stroop-Word Task (hard/incongruent). THC/CBD also produced a small increase (+8.6, p=.042, d=0.3) in self-ratings of Sedated at 10 h post-treatment, but with no accompanying changes in subjective ratings of Alert or Sleepy (p's>0.05). In conclusion, we found a lack of notable 'next day' impairment to cognitive and psychomotor function and simulated driving performance following evening use of 10 mg oral THC, in combination with 200 mg CBD, in an insomnia population who infrequently use cannabis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road crashes continue to be a leading cause of death globally, with most of these crashes reportedly occurring due to human factors. Traditional road safety assessment utilises geometric and traffic parameters that consider road design inadequacies and identify traffic conflicts. However, previous studies do not represent risky driving behavior and its influence on crash occurrence. Incorporating human factors into safety evaluation is crucial to enhance the prediction and subsequent prevention of unsafe events. This research establishes a methodology to identify risky driving behavior using driving performance measures. These measures are computed based on continuous driving profiles collected using instrumented vehicles from a sample set of drivers on an expressway and are compared with historical crash data. The results indicate the significance of driving performance measures in evaluating road safety. The performance measures find application in collision avoidance systems, assessing the road design quality, testing safety countermeasures and guide for policymakers.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background On-road driving skills can be impaired in older drivers and drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to different driving-relevant deficits. Among these deficits, somatic factors have received little attention so far. Methods In a prospective observational on-road driving study, we examined whether somatic factors can predict on-road driving skills in a mixed sample of healthy older drivers and drivers with MCI (n  = 99) and whether the inclusion of age explains additional variance. Somatic factors included the number of prescribed drugs, visual acuity, peripheral visual field integrity, mobility of the cervical spine, and hearing impairment. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to predict on-road driving skills by adding the somatic factors in the first step and age in the second step. Results Results revealed that the combination of somatic factors significantly predicted on-road driving skills (R 2adjusted = 0.439). The inclusion of age led to a significant increase of explained variance (R 2adjusted = 0.466). Conclusions Our results suggest that somatic factors can accurately predict on-road driving skills in healthy older drivers and drivers with MCI. In addition, our results suggest that there is a significant but rather small effect of age beyond somatic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Openness to experience predicts better on-road performance in older drivers. • Openness to experience is positively related to different driving situations. • Openness to experience and extraversion are associated with greater driving practice. Particularly in older age, personality has been an underrepresented predictor of driving safety. However, when changes in driving-related abilities are inevitable, on-road performance declines and personality traits may play an important role because the need for self-assessment and self-management is rising. In a prospective on-road study with data from N = 81 older drivers, we therefore examined whether and to what extent the Big Five dimensions predict on-road driving performance. Statistical analyses included a multiple regression of on-road driving performance onto the Big Five dimensions. Moreover, we explored the relation of the Big Five dimensions with specific driving dimensions and different driving-relevant variables. Among all Big Five dimensions, only openness to experience significantly predicted on-road performance in older drivers. Moreover, it showed positive correlations with most driving dimensions and several driving-relevant variables. Both openness to experience and extraversion were associated with greater driving practice. Among different personality factors, our results highlight the relevance of openness to experience for on-road driving behavior in older adults. Although personality alone does not appear to adequately predict on-road performance, the examination of specific personality traits may help to identify at-risk drivers and aid in prevention and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the impact of visual distraction duration from multifunctional in-car displays on driver safety. Utilizing a driving simulator and eye-tracking technology, this study involved 35 participants in visual search and car-following tasks, assessing their performance and mental workload across different durations of distraction. The results show that distractions lead to a decrease in driving control and a rise in mental workload, characterized by deteriorated vehicle handling and longer reaction times. With continued exposure to distractions, drivers begin to adapt, indicating a non-linear relationship between the duration of distraction and its consequences. This adaptation points to a threshold beyond which the negative effects of distractions no longer intensify. This work aids in developing safer automotive interfaces by highlighting the effects of larger screen trends on driving behavior and proposing strategies to mitigate distractions. It enriches the discourse on human–machine interaction by offering fresh perspectives on how visual distraction duration from in-car displays influences driving dynamics and cognitive load, thereby enhancing road safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (e.g., zopiclone, zolpidem) (benzodiazepine receptor agonists or BZRAs), are prescribed for anxiety and insomnia disorders. However, they are not indicated as first line therapies for long-term management due to harms and efficacy limitations. BZRAs have also been associated with traffic accident risks. Patients taking BZRAs are told to consult with health care providers regarding motor vehicle operation safety. However, advice on driving is variable. The objective of this scoping review is to identify, map, and characterize the evidence for assessments that measure driving performance in people taking BZRAs. Methods: Embase (Elsevier), MEDLINE (Ovid), and PsycINFO (EBSCO) were searched. Covidence was used for screening. Each stage of screening included two independent reviewers. A REDCap database was used for data extraction by two independent reviewers. Results were tabulated and summarised as a narrative. Results: Driving performance was assessed with 20 unique BZRAs across 183 studies (n = 92 experimental; n = 91 observational) in 178 publications. Zopiclone was the most studied. In experimental studies, the Standard Deviation of Lateral Position (SDLP) was used most often (n = 54, 62 %) and many studies (n = 35, 38 %) were conducted in the Netherlands. For observational studies, biological detection (e.g., urine, blood) (n = 73, 80 %) followed by prescription drug/dispensing records (n = 17, 19 %) were the most common impairment measures and Norway (n = 20) is where most studies took place. In experimental studies, most (n = 89, 97 %) were conducted using only one driving setting. Simulated driving in a car (n = 36) and road driving in traffic (n = 36) were common as compared to nontraffic driving course (n = 8) and simulated driving (n = 9). In experimental studies, seventy-eight of the 92 studies (85 %) had at least one measure that identified impairment. Conclusions: BZRA effects on motor vehicle driving performance have been studied using heterogenous protocols with multiple measures and settings, ranging from simulation to authentic traffic situations in experimental studies to biological detection and dispensing records in observational studies. Many BZRAs have been studied but study representation does not match prescribing pattern prevalence. The interpretation and contextualization of results for clinical practice is challenging due to the complexity (i.e., protocols, measures, settings). Future work in this area should work to improve knowledge translation of results so information is more readily accessible and applicable to health care providers and patients.

Like inattention, dysregulated emotions can seriously distract motorists and disrupt their driving performance. The current review examined the literature on emotion regulation to find relevant strategies for managing intense emotions while driving a motor vehicle. Next, we considered whether those relevant strategies could be used to design future affective automotive interfaces. Results suggested that problem-solving, task-focused coping, mindfulness, and relaxation effectively regulate emotions while driving. These findings highlight that some strategies may be effective but costly to implement while driving (cognitive reappraisal and distraction), which need to be better understood before implementing them into automotive interfaces. Together, these findings suggest the potential benefits of embedding self-regulatory interventions in future automotive interfaces that can help maintain an optimal affective state to reduce distraction and improve safe driving.

In-vehicle intelligent agents (IVIAs) have been developed to improve user experience in autonomous vehicles. Yet, the impact of the automation system on driver behavior and perception toward IVIAs is unclear. In this study, we conducted three experiments with 73 participants in a driving simulator to examine how automation system parameters (the level of automation system and IVIA features) influence driver attitudes, cognition, and behaviors when driving or riding in a simulated vehicle. We focused on subjective evaluations of driver-agent interaction and driver trust toward IVIAs to assess driver attitudes, driver situation awareness, and visual distraction to capture their cognition, and their driving performance to understand their behaviors. Our results show that the level of automation system affects drivers’ attitudes toward agent capabilities (e.g. perceived intelligence). Embodiment benefits are more pronounced with Level 5 systems, while speech style, in general, is more influential in determining affective aspects of user attitudes (e.g. Warmth, Likability). As the level of automation increases, drivers engage in more visual distractions. In addition, conversational speech style in general encouraged safer driving behaviors indicated by more stable lateral control under lower levels of automation. Our findings uncover the path of how system parameters affect driver behaviors through system evaluation and trust in agents. These findings have important implications for the development of cohesive user experiences in future transportation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sleep medications often carry residual effects potentially affecting driving safety. • Considering the vehicle's standard deviation of lateral position, most molecules paralleled the placebo, outperforming zopiclone. • Repeated administration caused fewer residual effects compared to acute one, except for flurazepam. • Repeated administration reduced residual effects. Sleep medications often carry residual effects potentially affecting driving safety, warranting network meta-analysis (NMA). PubMed/EMBASE/TRID/Clinicaltrials.gov/WHO-ICTRP/WebOfScience were inquired for randomized controlled trials of hypnotic driving studies in persons with insomnia and healthy subjects up to 05/28/2023, considering the vehicle's standard deviation of lateral position - SDLP (Standardized Mean Difference/SMD) and driving impairment rates on the first morning (co-primary outcomes) and endpoint. Risk-of-bias, global/local inconsistencies were measured, and CINeMA was used to assess the confidence in the evidence. Of 4,805 identified records, 26 cross-over RCTs were included in the systematic review, of which 22 entered the NMA, focusing on healthy subjects only. After a single administration, most molecules paralleled the placebo, outperforming zopiclone regarding SDLP. In contrast, ramelteon 8 mg, daridorexant 100 mg, zolpidem 10 mg bedtime, zolpidem middle-of-the-night 10 mg and 20 mg, mirtazapine 15–30 mg, and triazolam 0.5 mg performed significantly worse than placebo. Lemborexant 2.5–5 mg, suvorexant 15–20 mg, and zolpidem 3.5 mg middle-of-the-night associated with lower impairment than zopiclone. Repeated administration (maximum follow-up time of ten days) caused fewer residual effects than acute ones, except for flurazepam. Heterogeneity and inconsistency were negligible. Confidence in the evidence was low/very low. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the main analyses. Most FDA-approved hypnotics overlapped placebo at in-label doses, outperforming zopiclone. Repeated administration for 15 days or less reduced residual effects, warranting further research on the matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and traffic-related injuries are two major public health problems disproportionately affecting young people. Young drivers, whose driving skills are still developing, are particularly vulnerable to impaired driving due to brain injuries. Despite this, there is a paucity of research on how mTBI impacts driving and when it is safe to return to drive after an mTBI. This paper describes the protocol of the study, R2DRV, Longitudinal Assessment of Driving After Mild TBI in Young Drivers, which examines the trajectory of simulated driving performance and self-reported driving behaviors from acutely post-injury to symptom resolution among young drivers with mTBI compared to matched healthy drivers. Additionally, this study investigates the associations of acute post-injury neurocognitive function and cognitive load with driving among young drivers with and without mTBI. Methods A total of 200 young drivers (ages 16 to 24) are enrolled from two study sites, including 100 (50 per site) with a physician-confirmed isolated mTBI, along with 100 (50 per site) healthy drivers without a history of TBI matched 1:1 for age, sex, driving experience, and athlete status. The study assesses primary driving outcomes using two approaches: (1) high-fidelity driving simulators to evaluate driving performance across four experimental study conditions at multiple time points (within 96 h of injury and weekly until symptom resolution or 8 weeks post-injury); (2) daily self-report surveys on real-world driving behaviors completed by all participants. Discussion This study will fill critical knowledge gaps by longitudinally assessing driving performance and behaviors in young drivers with mTBI, as compared to matched healthy drivers, from acutely post-injury to symptom resolution. The research strategy enables evaluating how increased cognitive load may exacerbate the effects of mTBI on driving, and how post-mTBI neurocognitive deficits may impact the driving ability of young drivers. Findings will be shared through scientific conferences, peer-reviewed journals, and media outreach to care providers and the public.

Background: Despite increasing medical cannabis use, research has yet to establish whether and to what extent products containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) impact driving performance among patients. Stable doses of prescribed cannabinoid products during long-term treatment may alleviate clinical symptoms affecting cognitive and psychomotor performance. Aim: To examine the effects of open-label prescribed medical cannabis use on simulated driving performance among patients. Methods: In a semi-naturalistic laboratory study, 40 adults (55% male) aged between 23 and 80 years, consumed their own prescribed medical cannabis product. Driving performance outcomes including standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), the standard deviation of speed (SDS), mean speed and steering variability were evaluated using the Forum8 driving simulator at baseline (pre-dosing), 2.5 h and 5 -h (post-dosing). Perceived driving effort (PDE) was self-reported after each drive. Oral fluid and whole blood samples were collected at multiple timepoints and analysed for THC via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: A significant main effect of time was observed for mean speed (p = 0.014) and PDE (p = 0.020), with patients displaying modest stabilisation of vehicle control, increased adherence to speed limits and reductions in PDE post-dosing, relative to baseline. SDLP (p = 0.015) and PDE (p = 0.043) were elevated for those who consumed oil relative to flower-based products. Detectable THC concentrations were observed in oral fluid at 6-h post-dosing (range = 0–24 ng/mL). Conclusions: This semi-naturalistic study suggests that the consumption of medical cannabis containing THC (1.13–39.18 mg/dose) has a negligible impact on driving performance when used as prescribed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the impact of individual differences, attention, and memory deficits on distracted driving. Drivers with ADHD are more susceptible to distraction which results in more frequent collisions, violations, and licence suspensions. Consequently, the present investigation had 36 participants complete preliminary questionnaires, memory tasks, workload indices, and four, 4-min simulated driving scenarios to evaluate such impact. It was hypothesised ADHD diagnosis, type of cellular distraction, and traffic density would each differentially and substantively impact driving performance. Results indicated traffic density and distraction type significantly affected the objective driving facets measured, as well as subjective and secondary task performance. ADHD diagnosis directly impacted secondary task performance. Results further showed significant interactions between distraction type and traffic density on both brake pressure and steering wheel angle negatively impacting lateral and horizontal vehicle control. Altogether, these findings provide substantial empirical evidence for the deleterious effect of cellphone use on driving performance. Practitioner summary: This study examined how ADHD diagnosis, traffic density, and distraction type affect driver behaviour. Participants completed driving behaviour questionnaires, memory tasks, workload indices, and driving scenarios. Results showed that ADHD diagnosis impacted secondary task performance, while traffic and distractions significantly impacted driving performance as well secondary task performance and workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor alertness levels and related changes in cognitive efficiency are common when performing monotonous tasks such as extended driving. Recent studies have investigated driver alertness decrement and possible strategies for modulating alertness with the goal of improving reaction times to safety critical events. However, most studies rely on subjective measures in assessing alertness changes, while the use of olfactory stimuli, which are known to be strong modulators of cognitive states, has not been commensurately explored in driving alertness settings. To address this gap, in the present study we investigated the effectiveness of olfactory stimuli in modulating the alertness state of drivers and explored the utility of electroencephalography (EEG) in developing objective brain-based tools for assessing the resulting changes in cortical activity. Olfactory stimulation induced a significant differential effect on braking reaction time. The corresponding effect to the cortical activity was characterized using EEG-derived metrics and the devised machine learning framework yielded a high discriminating accuracy (92.1%). Furthermore, neural activity in the alpha frequency band was found to be significantly associated with the observed drivers' behavioral changes. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential of olfactory stimuli to modulate the alertness state and the efficiency of EEG in objectively assessing the resulting cognitive changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driving after drug use like heroin increases the risk of traffic crashes and such drug driving accidents have appeared more frequently over the past ten years. The current study compared the driving performance of drivers with heroin addiction and healthy controls. The participants were required to attend the Lane Change Task (LCT) and the adapted Change/No Change task to measure driving performance. In addition, the Attention Bias Task was used to quantify the drug addiction severity. Results showed that heroin misusers performed poorer driving performance than the healthy controls in the LCT task and in the Change/ No Change task. The correlation between attention bias to drug and driving performance indicated that addiction severity was associated with poorer driving performance. The results of this study suggest that the mechanisms of how drug use changes attention bias, which thereby further impairs driving performance. This study can inform how to persuade drivers of drug use and provide suggestions on how to give up drugs and thus improve driving safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

''Using eye-tracking technology, this study examined hazard detection at night. Using a 2 (younger versus older) x 2 (simulator versus on road) repeated-measures mixed design, 16 older adults and 17 younger adults drove their own vehicle and on a driving simulator under nighttime conditions wearing eye tracking technology. Both driving conditions had three roadway hazards of pedestrians looking at their cell phone while posed to cross the roadway. Pupil glances were recorded using outcome measures of total fixation duration, number of fixations, and time to first fixation. Results showed older adults detected hazards similarly to younger adults, especially during on-road performance. Night hazard detection was similar across driving conditions except for time to first fixation, which was faster on-road for both age groups. Results support potential use of driving simulators as a proxy for on-road with night driving needed for research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although second-generation antihistamines have reduced sedation-related side effects compared to first-generation antihistamines, sedation may still impair motor vehicle driving performance. Moreover, receiving/making phone calls using a hands-free function can negatively affect driving performance. Therefore, herein, driving performance was evaluated using a driving simulator to gain insights into the hazards of driving by combining second-generation antihistamines and a calling task, i.e., simulated calls using a hands-free function. Methods: In this study, 20 subjects drove in a driving simulator in the absence or presence of a calling task while taking or not taking second-generation antihistamines. Driving performances for nonemergency and emergency events were determined, and a comparative analysis of intra-individual variability when taking and not taking second-generation antihistamines was conducted. Results: First, when nonemergency and emergency were examined in the absence of a calling task, no significant difference in driving performance was observed between taking and not taking second-generation antihistamines. Next, when the nonemergency event was examined in the presence of a calling task, no significant difference in driving performance was observed between taking and not taking second-generation antihistamines. However, when the emergency event was examined in the presence of a calling task, a significant difference in driving performance was observed between taking and not taking second-generation antihistamines, thus resulting in reduced driving performance. Conclusions: The new system with added calling tasks allowed the extraction of the potential risks of driving performance of second-generation antihistamines that may have been previously overlooked. This study suggests that pharmacists and other healthcare professionals may need to instruct people taking any second-generation antihistamine to focus on driving and not on subtasks that require cognitive load such as talking while driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A previous study suggested older drivers with subjective memory concerns (SMC) had increased odds of experiencing car collisions, but whether SMC in different contexts and the number of SMC applicable items change this association is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between SMC and car collisions among older drivers in Japan. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from a Japanese community-based cohort study. Participants were community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years. SMC was assessed using five questions: 1) “Do you feel you have more problems with memory than most?” 2) “Do you have any difficulty with your memory?” 3) “Do you forget where you have left things more than you used to?” 4) “Do you forget the names of close friends or relatives?” and 5) “Do other people find you forgetful?” Participants were asked about their experiences with car collisions during the previous two years. Results: A total of 13,137 older drivers (72.1 ± 5.5 years old, and 43.6 % female) were analyzed. Cochran-Armitage trend test showed that as the number of SMC applicable items increased, the percentage of the experiences of car collisions significantly increased (6.8 %–15.8 %, P

Background: Simulator-based driving assessments (SA) have recently been used and studied for various purposes, particularly for post-stroke patients. Automating such assessment has potential benefits especially on reducing financial cost and time. Nevertheless, there currently exists no clear guideline on assessment techniques and metrics available for SA for post-stroke patients. Therefore, this systematic review is conducted to explore such techniques and establish guidelines for evaluation metrics.Objective: This review aims to find: (a) major evaluation metrics for automatic SA in post-stroke patients and (b) assessment inputs and techniques for such evaluation metrics.Methods: The study follows the PRISMA guideline. Systematic searches were performed on PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore Digital Library for articles published from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2023. This review targeted journal articles written in English about automatic performance assessment of simulator-based driving by post-stroke patients. A narrative synthesis was provided for the included studies.Results: The review included six articles with a total of 239 participants. Across all of the included studies, we discovered 49 distinct assessment inputs. Threshold-based, machine-learning-based, and driving simulator calculation approaches are three primary types of assessment techniques and evaluation metrics identified in the review.Discussion: Most studies incorporated more than one type of input, indicating the importance of a comprehensive evaluation of driving abilities. Threshold-based techniques and metrics were the most commonly used in all studies, likely due to their simplicity. An existing relevant review also highlighted the limited number of studies in this area, underscoring the need for further research to establish the validity and effectiveness of simulator-based automatic assessment of driving (SAAD).Conclusions: More studies should be conducted on various aspects of SAAD to explore and validate this type of assessment.

Modern road infrastructures are complex networks featuring various elements such as roads, bridges, intersections, and roundabouts, with advanced control systems. Roundabouts have gained prominence as a safer alternative to traditional intersections promoting smoother traffic flow and fewer collisions by guiding traffic in one direction, encouraging reduced speed, and minimizing conflict points.This study investigated driver behavior within roundabouts, focusing on gaze behavior, particularly the left-side mirror and window, under mobile phone distraction conditions. In addition, the effects of roundabout specifications (i.e., number of lanes and size of the central island) and the drivers’ characteristics (i.e., driving experience) were examined.In total, 43 participants, aged 19–56 years including 30 males and 13 females, held a valid driving license, drove through a virtual simulated urban road containing four roundabouts, implemented in a static driving simulator, under baseline condition (no distraction) as well as mobile-induced distraction. Driving simulator data were collected and drivers’ gaze direction and fixation on nine areas of interest were captured with an eye tracker. Results: showed that experienced drivers exhibit a more fixation on the left-side mirror and window and were less distracted. Moreover, the road environment, i.e., the number of cars and the roundabout size, significantly influenced the drivers’ attention. As regards the driving performance, the number of infractions increased when the drivers diverted focus from the left side of the car. The outcomes of the present study might help to improve traffic safety at roundabouts.

Drivers play a significant role in causing serious accidents, which underscores the need for further investigating the human element in order to improve road safety. Given the predominance of the information processing approach in driver’s behavior research field, an important psychological construct, Mental Workload (MWL), has been introduced to study the behavior of drivers. The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of increased MWL on driver behavior and specifically the changes in driver’s Reaction Time (RT) under increased MWL. The experiment conducted in the driving simulator of the Hellenic Institute of Transport which is part of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, with the participation of 56 subjects from all age groups. For the simulation of the increased MWL conditions during driving, a secondary task was employed. To this end, the MIT AgeLab Delayed Digit Recall Task in the 1-back version was adapted for the needs of the present research. The driving scenario included 4 unexpected events, which further increase driver’s MWL. Driving performance was observed and relative parameters were measured as RT on the unexpected events, accidents occurred, and maneuvers performed. Appropriate statistical analysis was performed to examine the difference in the drivers’ RT in the unexpected events. Results demonstrated that higher MWL increased drivers’ RT in the majority of the participants. Furthermore, results also indicated a number of participants that probably employed adaptive control behaviors to counterbalance the increased MWL. Overall, variance on MWL proved to play an important role on driver performance, and thus further research on its consequences on driving performance, and the factors that influence its variance during driving, is imperative.

Unsignalized intersections are identified as the critical locations due to higher number of road crashes at these locations. The primary causes of crashes at unsignalized intersections are limited sight distance, incorrect assessment of gaps by drivers on the minor road, and higher speeds of vehicles on the major road. In an effort to improve safety and reduce the severity of crashes at unsignalized intersections, an intelligent transportation system (ITS) called the intersection conflict warning system (ICWS) has been developed. The ICWS consists of an activated warning sign and sensors that detect vehicles approaching the intersection. This paper aims to summarize the performance evaluation of ICWS that has been published in the literature. The review commences with an overview of the purpose of designing and installing ICWS at unsignalized intersections. It then discusses driving performance measures considered to evaluate the effectiveness of ICWS in three different environments, i.e., real world, driving simulator, and simulations, and their results are presented. The paper also discusses the type of sensors used to detect vehicles approaching the intersection and their accuracy in vehicle detection. The results reveal that ICWS had substantially improved driver behaviour. In the presence of ICWS, drivers resulted in shorter reaction time, lower approach speed, increased critical gap acceptance, and reduction in conflicts. An improvement in the performance of ICWS can be achieved by educating drivers about the sign, maintaining system reliability, and further examining the effect of various traffic factors, driver factors, and environmental factors on ICWS. The findings of this study can help researchers and engineers to design a better ICWS that can greatly enhance driving performance and safety at unsignalized intersections.

The increasing use of road traffic for land transportation has resulted in numerous road accidents and casualties, including those involving oil and gas tanker vehicles. Despite this, little empirical research has been conducted on the factors influencing tanker drivers' performance. This study aims to address this knowledge gap, particularly in the energy transportation industry, by examining the driving performance factors that affect tanker drivers and incorporating risk assessment measures. The model variables were identified from the literature and used to develop a survey questionnaire for the study. A total of 307 surveys were collected from Malaysian oil and gas tanker drivers, and the driving performance factors were contextually adjusted using the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) approach. The driving performance model was developed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The EFA results categorized driving performance into two constructs: 1) drivers' reaction time with β = 0.320 and 2) attention and vigilance with β value = 0.749. The proposed model provided full insight into how drivers’ reaction time, attention, and vigilance impact drivers' performance in this sector, which can help identify potential risks and prevent accidents. The findings are significant in understanding the factors that affect oil and gas drivers' performance and can aid in enhancing oil and gas transportation management by including effective risk assessment measures to prevent fatal crashes.

Abstract Background: Individuals who play video games on computers and cellphones may have better psychomotor skills. It is unknown whether simulated driving performance varies between individuals who play video games more per week compared to individuals who play less. This study investigates whether initial simulated driving performance differs between high and low gamers during a brief (e.g., 10 minutes) driving simulation. Methods: Data for this study were collected at baseline during enrollment for a randomized clinical trial (n = 40). Participants playing video games for > 10 hours/week were categorized as the high gaming group; others were in the low gaming group. Each participant drove the same simulation on the STISIM M1000 simulator, which recorded various driving performance metrics (e.g., driving out of lane and time to initial collision). Data between the groups were compared using Cox proportional hazards and analysis of covariance regression models. Results: The average age of participants was 21 ± 2.7 years and 48% were male. After adjusting for age, sex, and miles driven per week, the high gaming group spent a mean 4% less time driving out of lane compared to the low gaming group (β = –4.03, SD = 1.32, p ≤ 0.05). No other differences were observed between groups for any other outcome. Conclusion: With the exception of percentage time driving out of lane, the number of hours gaming per week does not seem to impact an individual’s initial driving performance on a driving simulator. These findings may inform future driving simulation research methodology.

Therapeutic transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a well-tolerated neuromodulatory intervention. However, there are currently no data on its impact on driving skills. Therefore, we conducted a validated assessment of drivingrelated cognitive skills in participants of the DepressionDC trial, a multicenter, randomized-controlled trial investigating the antidepressant effects of 6-week prefrontal tDCS in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Twenty-one patients (12 women, active tDCS, n  =  11, sham, n  =  10) underwent an assessment of driving-related cognitive skills before and after the intervention. Using a Bayesian analysis approach, we found no group differences between active tDCS and sham tDCS in the pre-post treatment changes for visual perception (estimated median difference: 3.41 [−3.17, 10.55 89%-CI], BF01: 2.1), stress tolerance (estimated median difference: 0.77 [−2.40, 4.15 89%-CI], BF01: 1.6), and reaction time (estimated median difference: 2.06 [−12.33, 16.83 89%-CI], BF01: 6.5). Our results indicate that repeated sessions of a conventional bifrontal tDCS protocol do not negatively impact driving-related cognitive skills in patients with MDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Grouser in coastal terrains. • Experimental tests on physical and mechanical properties of costal terrains. • Effect of grouser shape ratio on thrust. • Discrete element method (DEM) for optimal shape ratio of a grouser. • Terramechanical experiment to validate DEM model. Using the discrete element method (DEM), this study derived the optimal shape ratio of a grouser driving in a coastal terrain. To develop a DEM model that considers the properties of the coastal terrain, experiments were performed on the physical and mechanical properties of the terrain, and parameters of the DEM model were calibrated using the experimental results. In addition, a terramechanical experiment was performed to validate the DEM model, for which parameters were calibrated. Furthermore, simulations were performed on the change in thrust according to the existence or nonexistence of the grouser and the change in thrust and sinkage according to the shape ratio using the validated DEM model. Consequently, the track with grouser generated a larger thrust than that without the grouser. Thus, the optimal shape ratio range of coastal terrain was derived using the DEM model, considering the mechanical properties of the terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review investigated the alignment of objective and subjective driving impairment following alcohol and cannabis administration. Under PRISMA guidelines, a literature search was conducted on various research databases. Studies (N = 20) were included if they were within‐subjects designs, included acute alcohol or cannabis administration, and implemented both objective and subjective measures of driving performance. The review revealed that although the current evidence was limited, there was an apparent (albeit inconsistent) alignment between subjective and objective measures of driving impairment for both alcohol and cannabis conditions. Notably, preliminary evidence suggested that heavier alcohol users may be inclined to underestimate their impairment, whilst cannabis users may overestimate the level of their impairment. However, the current literature was considered limited due to the absence of adequate analytical support, the simplistic (and potentially misleading) approaches to measuring impairment, and the lack of inquiry into how interpersonal differences mediate the subjective‐objective relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In December 2022, the new guideline for evaluating the effect of psychotropic drugs on the performance to drive a motor vehicle was issued by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and implemented in Japan. Of the safety information, information on the influence of medications on driving performance is particularly important because it can be relevant to the social functioning of patients. In principle, the package inserts of medications are designed based on evidence and provide precautions regarding the operation of heavy machinery such as automobiles in Japan, the United States, and Europe. The effects of medications on driving performance are generally evaluated in a tiered approach involving nonclinical and clinical studies. Because of the wide variety of functional domains involved in automobile driving, the selection of evaluation methods for a given medication depends on their characteristics, which is a complicated method. Therefore, to evaluate the effects of psychotropic drugs on driving performance efficiently and appropriately, we developed the MHLW guideline that specifically defines the evaluation methods used in pharmacological studies, the neuropsychological tests used in pharmacodynamic studies, and the situations in which driving studies are necessary. Regarding the planning of appropriate drug development strategies, we review the background of the MHLW guideline and its differences from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guideline.

Therapeutic transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a well-tolerated neuromodulatory intervention. However, there are currently no data on its impact on driving skills. Therefore, we conducted a validated assessment of driving-related cognitive skills in participants of the DepressionDC trial, a multicenter, randomized-controlled trial investigating the antidepressant effects of 6-week prefrontal tDCS in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Twenty-one patients (12 women, active tDCS, n = 11, sham, n = 10) underwent an assessment of driving-related cognitive skills before and after the intervention. Using a Bayesian analysis approach, we found no group differences between active tDCS and sham tDCS in the pre-post treatment changes for visual perception (estimated median difference: 3.41 [−3.17, 10.55 89%-CI], BF01: 2.1), stress tolerance (estimated median difference: 0.77 [−2.40, 4.15 89%-CI], BF01: 1.6), and reaction time (estimated median difference: 2.06 [−12.33, 16.83 89%-CI], BF01: 6.5). Our results indicate that repeated sessions of a conventional bifrontal tDCS protocol do not negatively impact driving-related cognitive skills in patients with MDD.

Driving is a crucial aspect of personal independence, and accurate assessment of driving skills is vital for ensuring road safety. This study aimed to identify reliable cognitive predictors of safe driving through a driving simulator experiment. We assessed the driving performance of 66 university students in two distinct simulated driving conditions and evaluated their cognitive skills in decision-making, attention, memory, reasoning, perception, and coordination. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the most reliable cognitive predictor of driving outcome. Results revealed that under favorable driving conditions characterized by good weather and limited interactions with other road users, none of the variables tested in the study were able to predict driving performance. However, in a more challenging scenario with adverse weather conditions and heavier traffic, cognitive assessment scores demonstrated significant predictive power for the rate of traffic infractions committed. Specifically, cognitive skills related to memory and coordination were found to be most predictive. This study underscores the significance of cognitive ability, particularly memory, in ensuring safe driving performance. Incorporating cognitive evaluations in driver licensing and education/training programs can enhance the evaluation of drivers' competence and promote safer driving practices.

IntroductionDriving fatigue has been shown to increase the risk of accidents and potentially fatal crashes. Fatigue is a serious risk that some drivers do not take seriously. Previous studies investigated the effects of driving fatigue in the Malaysian oil and gas transportation industry by employing survey questionnaires. However, they did not explain the behavior of fatigue. Besides, these results required validation by a more reliable method that can describe how fatigue occurs.MethodsThus, in this study, we used the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT-192) and a short survey to address driving fatigue behavior and identify the influences of driving fatigue on driving performance in real life (on the road) with actual oil and gas tanker drivers. The total participants in the experimental study were 58 drivers.ResultsFor the analysis, a Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, Z value and Spearman’s rho were used to measure the significant difference between the pre and post-tests of PVT and the correlation between the fatigue variables and driving performance.DiscussionDuring the experiment’s first and second days, this study’s results indicated that driving fatigue gradually escalated. Likewise, there was a negative correlation based on the test of the relationship between the PVT data and the driving performance survey data. Additionally, the drivers suffer from accumulative fatigue, which requires more effort from the transportation company management to promote the drivers awareness of fatigue consequences.

Rapid global economic development, population growth, and increased motorization have resulted in significant issues in urban traffic safety. This study explores the intrinsic connections between road environments and driving safety by integrating multiple visual landscape elements. High-resolution remote sensing and street-view images were used as primary data sources to obtain the visual landscape features of an urban expressway. Deep learning semantic segmentation was employed to calculate visual landscape features, and a trend surface fitting model of road landscape features and driver fatigue was established based on experimental data from 30 drivers who completed driving tasks in random order. There were significant spatial variations in the visual landscape of the expressway from the city center to the urban periphery. Heart rate values fluctuated within a range of 0.2% with every 10% change in driving speed and landscape complexity. Specifically, as landscape complexity changed between 5.28 and 8.30, the heart rate fluctuated between 91 and 96. This suggests that a higher degree of landscape richness effectively mitigates increases in driver fatigue and exerts a positive impact on traffic safety. This study provides a reference for quantitative assessment research that combines urban road landscape features and traffic safety using multiple data sources. It may guide the implementation of traffic safety measures during road planning and construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]