In order to evaluate the effects of real life driving on vigilance, 31 subjects have been used during 106 test sessions in a series of experimentations with increasing driving periods. Electrophysiological parameters show different levels of vigilance: the highest arousal corresponding to a driving situation in town, a monotonous driving at night induces a particularly low arousal. Then a first experimentation was conducted in the purpose of studying the decrease of vigilance through two and four hours of driving, on the motorway. The second part of the study followed up with two long driving tests on the motorway during a longer period of time (6 hours), with and without resting periods. The influence of long driving and the efficiency of rest pauses on driver alertness were shown.
Samenvatting