This paper describes a study to test the hypothesis that professional drivers have a stronger resistance to the progressive occurrence of low vigilance state during driving than non-professional drivers. A group of professional drivers and one of non-professional drivers were requested to carry out a driving task in a simulator. The professional drivers were asked to drive for six hours, the non-professionals for two. Recordings included videos, performance assessment and physiological data including EEG (electroencephalograph) readings, from which power spectrum analysis was performed on the theta, alpha and beta frequencies. The results of the study showed that increased drowsiness with time in driving can be found in young non-professional as well as in professional drivers, but non-professional male drivers seemed to exhibit a larger increase in the first two hours of the test. For the covering abstract see ITRD E113725 (C 22328 CD-ROM).
Samenvatting