Page 197 - Mechatronics for Safety, Security and Dependability in a New Era

Ch38-I044963.fm Page 181 Tuesday, August 1, 2006 8:18 PM
Page 181
8:18 PM
1, 2006
Tuesday, August
Ch38-I044963.fm
181
181
EVALUATION METHODS FOR DRIVING PERFORMANCE
USING A DRIVING SIMULATOR UNDER THE CONDITION
OF DRUNK DRIVING OR TALKING DRIVING
WITH A CELL PHONE

1
1
Y.Azuma , T.Kawano and T.Moriwaki 2
1
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Setsunan University,
Neyagawa, Osaka 572-8508, JAPAN
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kobe University,
Kobe, Hyogo 657-8501, JAPAN

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to fabricate a driving simulator and establish the methods to evaluate the
driving performance using the simulator under the condition of drunk driving or talking driving with a
cell phone. Two indices are proposed to evaluate the driving performance. One is the degree of
unsteadiness of the driving path and the other is the reaction time in pressing the brake pedal with a
foot. The degree of unsteadiness is defined as composition of the degree of weaving from side to side
and the degree of fluctuating of the distance between cars. Using the driving simulator experiments
were carried out for six subjects. As a result it is demonstrated that the drunk driving or the talking
driving with a cell phone are evaluated appropriately.

KEYWORDS
Driving Simulator, Driving Performance, Safe Driving, Drunk Driving, Talking Driving,
Cell Phone, Human behavior

1. INTRODUCTION

Numerous driving simulators have been already developed for many applications[l] [2] [3]. Using a
driving simulator Contardi et al.[4] analyzed mean and standard deviation of lane position according
to the circadian variation of alertness. Reed and Green[5] recorded driving speed and steering-wheel
angle while periodically dialing simulated phone calls. Gawron and Ranney[6] examined the driving
performances including lateral acceleration on the approach and negotiation of horizontal curves of
varying length and curvature when sober or alcohol-dosed. In those studies various evaluation
methods were adopted for driving performances. However, those methods varied depending on the
researchers. Particularly, adequate and uniformalized evaluation methods of drunk driving or talking
driving with a cell phone have not quite established.