Inertial forces experienced during driving can perturb a driver's posture, diminishing a driver's perceptual sensitivity and corresponding control actions. For example, drivers often tilt their head during cornering. This study examines the effects of a specific post-license driver training program on postural stability and vehicle kinematics during cornering. A trainee group and control group participated in the study. The trainee group participated in a 2-day driver training program that included instruction on how to enhance perceptual sensitivity, postural stability, and vehicle kinematics during common driving maneuvers, including cornering. Postural stability and vehicle kinematics were assessed during cornering maneuvers performed on a closed-circuit track using an instrumented vehicle prior to and following training. Results showed that the trainee group experienced enhanced postural stability and reduced the magnitude and onset of peak vehicle lateral accelerations following training. Prior to training, drivers who were more posturally unstable tended to experience higher lateral vehicle accelerations, and drivers with the biggest improvements in postural stability following training tended to experience the greatest reductions in lateral accelerations of the vehicle. The reduction in lateral accelerations following training in the present study indicates a greater dynamic margin of safety for cornering. The overall findings suggest that including information on postural stability in driver training programs produced beneficial effects on cornering kinematics.
Abstract