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

Jamson, A Hamish; Merat, Natasha · 2009 · Crossref

DOI: 10.17077/drivingassessment.1329

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Summary

This study investigates whether low-cost road engineering measures can effectively combat driver fatigue, a significant contributor to road accidents. Fatigue is implicated in approximately 20% of serious motorway accidents in the U.K. and up to 40% of highway accidents in the U.S. While drivers often recognize their own drowsiness, they frequently underestimate its impact and continue driving. The research aimed to determine if specific alerting features—chevron road-surface markings, transverse-carriageway rumble strips, and variable message signs (VMS)—could temporarily stimulate fatigued drivers in monotonous environments. The experiment utilized a high-fidelity driving simulator at the University of Leeds, featuring a motion system and eye-tracking technology. Thirty-three male participants were divided into two groups: young shift-workers (N=17) tested immediately after an 8-hour night shift, and older drivers (N=16) tested during the post-lunch dip period. Each participant completed a baseline drive while well-rested and three subsequent drives in a fatigued state, each incorporating one of the three treatments. The treatments were applied over a 3km section after 48km of monotonous driving to allow fatigue to build. Driver performance was measured using the high-frequency component of steering (indicating erratic corrections) and PERCLOS (percentage of eye closure), a physiological indicator of drowsiness. Results indicated that PERCLOS and steering metrics successfully discriminated between baseline and fatigued states, with shift-workers showing significantly higher fatigue levels than older drivers. Regarding the interventions, all three treatments showed some evidence of an alerting effect, though it was generally weak and short-lived. For the shift-worker group, all three treatments resulted in significant improvements in steering performance and marginal reductions in eye closure following the treatment zone. For the older group, rumble strips and VMS significantly improved steering performance, while chevrons had little effect. PERCLOS trends suggested a benefit from rumble strips for older drivers, though this did not reach statistical significance. The study concludes that while these low-cost engineering measures can provide a temporary alerting effect, they do not eliminate fatigue and are only effective in localized areas. The authors suggest that such measures could be deployed in known fatigue-related accident blackspots to reduce monotony. However, they emphasize that these interventions are not a substitute for driver responsibility; individuals must remain aware of their fatigue levels and avoid driving when tired. The findings support the potential utility of these alerts as supplementary safety measures in high-risk, monotonous road sections.

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Topics

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• drowsiness detection algorithms
• perceptual countermeasures
• truck driver fatigue
• time on task
• drowsiness
• vigilance

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: physiological data
• Methodological Resource: tool software, validation psychometrics