Standard operation procedures for conducting the on-the-road driving test, and measurement of the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP)

Verster, Joris C.; Roth, Thomas · 2011 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s19639

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Summary

This review paper establishes standardized operation procedures (SOPs) for conducting the on-the-road driving test and analyzing its primary outcome measure, the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP). The authors address the need for consistent methodology in psychopharmacological research, noting that while the on-the-road test is considered the "gold standard" for assessing drug-induced driving impairment, clear guidelines for test execution and data interpretation had not been previously published. Standardizing these procedures is critical to enable valid comparisons of driving data across different research sites and studies. The methodology involves a 100 km drive on a public two-lane highway in normal traffic, typically taking one hour. Participants are instructed to maintain a steady lane position and a constant speed of 95 km/h. Vehicle control is monitored using an instrumented car equipped with a roof-mounted camera that measures lateral position relative to road markings at a frequency of 2 Hz. A licensed driving instructor with dual controls accompanies the participant to ensure safety, while an investigator monitors data recording. The primary metric, SDLP, quantifies the "weaving" of the vehicle; higher values indicate poorer vehicle control. Secondary measures include the standard deviation of speed. To ensure data integrity, raw data must be edited according to specific SOPs to remove artifacts caused by overtaking maneuvers, traffic jams, or signal loss. The paper reports that SDLP is a stable and reliable measure with high test–retest reliability (r = 0.80) and does not depend on a subject’s baseline driving skills. In a sample of 268 healthy volunteers, the mean placebo SDLP was 18.79 cm, with individual values ranging from 9 cm to over 30 cm. Under normal conditions, 60%–80% of data is retained for analysis, though this percentage drops by 5%–10% during winter due to weather-related visibility issues. The authors emphasize that tests should avoid rush hours to minimize traffic-induced data loss and alertness confounds. Over 30 years of application, no accidents have occurred, though tests are prematurely stopped if participants become too sedated or unsafe. The significance of this work lies in providing a rigorous framework for evaluating the effects of central nervous system drugs on driving ability. By defining precise SOPs for data collection and editing, the paper facilitates the comparison of results across different laboratories and drug classes, including hypnotics, anxiolytics, and antihistamines. The high ecological validity of the test, combined with its sensitivity to dose-dependent impairment, supports its continued use as the primary method for assessing driving safety in clinical trials.

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Topics

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• lane positioning
• fitness to drive assessment
• simulator validity fidelity

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: standards test procedures
• Methodological Resource: validation psychometrics, measurement protocol