Cross-study research on utility and validity of driving simulator for driver behavior analysis. Paper presented at the Drive-Car Interaction & Safety Conference.

Driving is one of the most ordinary and universal everyday tasks and, at the same time, one of the most complex and dangerous. It requires a full range of sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and motor functions, all of which can be affected by a wide range of stressors and experience levels. Therefore, exploring of human behaviour while controlling a vehicle is a crucial task in improving traffic safety. Experimental studies can always be conducted with on-road tests, however, using a simulator is safer and more cost-effective. The main goal of this paper is to demonstrate if and under what conditions could a driving simulator provide sufficient results required for a proper study of driver behavior. It discusses its limits and advantages. Overall, the research reviewed in this paper indicates that simulator driving behaviour approximates (relative validity of speed and lateral position of vehicle on road), but does not exactly replicate (absolute validity), on-road driving behaviour. (Author/publisher)