Evaluation of assistance systems allowing older drivers to intercept moving inter-vehicular space.

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to test two Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) designed to help older drivers to intercept a moving inter-vehicular space.

Method: Older and younger drivers were asked to intercept a moving inter-vehicular space within a train of vehicles in a driving simulator. Three ADAS conditions (No-ADAS, Head Down, Head Up) as well as five distinct speed regulation conditions were tested.

Primary insomnia patients' performances during simulated car following and urban driving in the afternoon.

According to epidemiological studies, insomnia is associated with an increase in risk of traffic accidents. Recent investigations revealed that patients with insomnia had driving performance impairment under monotonous conditions. However, it is unclear whether other driving abilities may be impacted by insomnia, especially those needing more attentional resources than those involved in monotonous driving.

Measuring mental workload with the NASA-TLX needs to examine each dimension rather than relying on the global score: an example with driving.

The distinction between several components of mental workload is often made in the ergonomics literature. However, measurements used are often established from a global score, notably with several questionnaires that originally reflect several dimensions. The present study tested the effect of driving situation complexity, experience and subjective levels of tension and alertness on each dimension of the NASA-TLX questionnaire of workload, in order to highlight the potential influence of intrinsic, extraneous and germane load factors.

Judging arrival times of incoming traffic vehicles is not a prerequisite for safely crossing an intersection: Differential effects of vehicle size and type in passive judgment and active driving tasks.

Using a fixed-base driving simulator we compared the effects of the size and type of traffic vehicles (i.e., normal-sized or double-sized cars or motorcycles) approaching an intersection in two different tasks.

Does early training improve driving skills of young novice French drivers?

The aim of this research was to study drivers' performances and divided attention depending on their initial training. The performances of young novice drivers who received early training, traditionally trained drivers and more experienced drivers were compared during a dual task consisting of a simulated car-following task and a number' parity judgment task. It was expected that, due to their limited driving experience, the young novice drivers would have more difficulty in adequately distributing their attention between the two tasks.

Overload depending on driving experience and situation complexity: Which strategies faced with a pedestrian crossing?

The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of situation complexity and driving experience on subjective workload and driving performance, and the less costly and the most effective strategies faced with a hazard pedestrian crossing. Four groups of young drivers (15 traditionally trained novices, 12 early-trained novices, 15 with three years of experience and 15 with a minimum of five years of experience) were randomly assigned to three situations (simple, moderately complex and very complex) including unexpected pedestrian crossings, in a driving simulator. The subjective workload was collected by the NASA-TLX questionnaire after each situation.

Mental workload and driving.

The aim of this review is to identify the most representative measures of subjective and objective mental workload in driving, and to understand how the subjective and objective levels of mental workload influence the performance as a function of situation complexity and driving experience, i.e., to verify whether the increase of situation complexity and the lack of experience increase the subjective and physiological levels of mental workload and lead to driving performance impairments.

Effects of alcohol on automated and controlled driving performances.

Rationale: Alcohol is the most frequently detected substance in fatal automobile crashes, but its precise mode of action is not always clear.

Objective: The present study was designed to establish the influence of blood alcohol concentration as a function of the complexity of the scenarios. Road scenarios implying automatic or controlled driving performances were manipulated in order to identify which behavioral parameters were deteriorated.

Effects of three therapeutic doses of codeine/paracetamol on driving performance, a psychomotor vigilance test, and subjective feelings.

Rationale: Some recent pharmacoepidemiological studies revealed an elevated risk of driving accidents after opioid analgesics uses. Among analgesics, codeine is often associated with paracetamol in numerous pharmaceutical specialties.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the dose-effect relationship of three usual therapeutic doses of codeine/paracetamol on driving ability, psychomotor performance, subjective alertness, in link with blood concentrations in healthy young volunteers.

Intercepting a moving traffic gap while avoiding collision with lead and trail vehicles: gap-related and boundary-related influences on drivers' speed regulations during approach to an intersection.

Using a fixed-base driving simulator, 15 participants actively drove their vehicle across a rural road toward an intersection. Their task was to safely cross the intersection, passing through a gap in the train of incoming traffic. Spatiotemporal task constraints were manipulated by varying the initial conditions (offsets) with respect to the time of arrival of the traffic gap at the intersection.

Intersection crossing considered as intercepting a moving traffic gap: effects of task and environmental constraints.

Safely crossing an intersection requires that drivers actively control their approach to the intersection with respect to characteristics of the flow of incoming traffic. To further our understanding of the perceptual-motor processes involved in this demanding manoeuvre, we designed a driving simulator experiment in which 13 participants actively negotiated intersections by passing through a gap in the train of incoming traffic. Task constraints were manipulated by varying the size of the traffic gap and the initial conditions with respect to the time of arrival of the traffic gap at the intersection.

Skills of novices early trained or traditionaly trained versus experienced drivers confronted to simulated urban accidents' scenarios.

In order to prevent the over-representation of young drivers in car crashes, France instated an early driver training from the age of 16, but the positive effects of this opportunity have not yet been proven. Three groups of male drivers (12 subjects each) were confronted with some prototypical accident scenarios introduced in a simulated urban circuit. The first and second groups were composed of young drivers having less than one month of driving licence; twelve have had a traditional learning course, and twelve had followed, in addition to the initial course, an early driver training under the supervision of an adult.

The evaluation of traditional and early driver training with simulated accident scenarios.

Objective: We assessed the driving skills of novice traditionally trained, novice early-trained, and experienced drivers to evaluate whether supervised early training could improve young drivers' skills.

Background: The overall representation of young male drivers in car crashes is a recurrent problem in developed countries.To prevent this overrepresentation, France institutes an early driver training program from the age of 16 with the supervision of an adult.

Zolpidem and zopiclone impair similarly monotonous driving performance after a single nighttime intake in aged subjects.

Rationale: Although hypnotics are primarily used by older people, the residual effects the morning after a single nighttime intake of the two most commonly prescribed hypnotics, zolpidem (Zp) and zopiclone (Zc), on older middle-aged drivers have not been evaluated and compared.

Methods: Sixteen healthy subjects, 55 to 65 years of age, participated in this double-blind, balanced, cross-over study. Zc (7.

Residual effects of hypnotic drugs in aging drivers submitted to simulated accident scenarios: an exploratory study.

Rationale: The effects of hypnotic drugs on driving performance are most often evaluated on young healthy subjects by using a monotonous motorway driving test. The effects of drugs in urban driving situations have not yet been evaluated in any age group. Our objectives were to assess residual effects of the most prescribed hypnotics, zolpidem and zopiclone, on older middle-age drivers' capacities in an urban situation.