A New Method of Evaluating the Effects of Fatigue on Driver Performance

A new research instrument has been developed over the last four years and is now available for studying driver performance objectively under actual driving conditions. This report describes a new method of evaluating the effects of fatigue on driving performance using this equipment. A mathematical rating system is developed based on the results of this preliminary experiment and pre-tests. Examples demonstrate how the equations are used for rating the degree of driver fatigue at several stages of the test run. The results of this test are now being used in planning a new experiment for studying driving fatigue on a small population of drivers. The same approach can also be applied to study the effects of drugs, alcohol, and physical deficiencies on driver performance.