Effects of Drugs on Driving: Driving Simulator Tests of Diazepam and Secobarbital

The effects of secobarbital and diazepam on performance in a closed-loop driving simulator are described. The simulator used computer-generated-imagery techniques to generate a roadway scene. Tasks included lane and speed maintenance, car following, curve following, route sign recognition, car passing and emergency decision making. Both diazepam and secobarbital were found to affect mean lane position, variability of lane position and velocity, and room to spare in an emergency stop situation.