Improving long term driving comfort by taking breaks - How break activity affects effectiveness.

During long duration journeys, drivers are encouraged to take regular breaks. The benefits of breaks have been documented for safety; breaks may also be beneficial for comfort. The activity undertaken during a break may influence its effectiveness.

Effect of long term driving on driver discomfort and its relationship with seat fidgets and movements (SFMs).

Discomfort in vehicle seats is a multifactorial problem with large increases in discomfort occurring during extended duration driving. Due to the nature of driver discomfort, previous research has found it difficult to accurately quantify long term driver discomfort via the use of objective measures. This paper reports a laboratory study that investigates a novel objective measure of long term driver discomfort and its correlation with subjective discomfort ratings.

Driver discomfort in vehicle seats - Effect of changing road conditions and seat foam composition.

Discomfort in vehicle seats is a multi-factorial problem with contributions occurring from effects of sitting duration, seat design, and the dynamic environment to which the occupant is exposed. This paper reports laboratory studies investigating the extent to which reports of discomfort are affected by vibration commencing or ceasing, and whether methods of assessment are sensitive enough to detect small changes in foam composition. Study 1 measured discomfort ratings for two conditions of 60 min each, comprising 30 min of vibration exposure followed by 30 min of static sitting in a car seat, and vice-versa.