Driver fatigue represents one of the main targets in the road safety agenda. Fatigue is, subjectively, physiologically, and psychologically, a complex state. This chapter introduces our research on driver fatigue intertwined with the presentation of the serious driving game we adopted. The motivations to choose RACER as a serious tool in the research of fatigue while driving are described. We present the adaptations implemented on it to meet our research requirements. The method, instruments and procedures employed in addition to this simulator software are detailed. Experimental results, the advantages of this serious tool and desirable improvements from a research stand point are discussed. We conclude that using RACER has been a cost-effective choice. Most importantly, the research results might help to reduce fatigue related road fatalities through the development of training and driver assistance systems.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alloway, C. E. D., Ogilvie, R. D., & Shapiro, C. M. (1997). The alpha attenuation test: Assessing excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy-cataplexy. Sleep: Journal of Sleep & Sleep Disorders Research, 20, 258–266.
Annuk, S. (2005). Speedest2 top speed oval [computer software]. http://www.aai.ee/~siim/racer/. Available at http://www.xtremeracers.net. Accessed 13 January 2006.
Baulk S. D., Biggs, S. N., Reid, K. J., van den Heuvel, C. J., & Dawson, D. (2008). Chasing the silver bullet: Measuring driver fatigue using simple and complex tasks. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 40, 396–402.
Baulk, S. D., Reyner, L. A., & Horne, J. A. (2001). Driver sleepiness: Evaluation of reaction time measurement as a secondary task. Sleep, 24, 695–698.
Belz, S. M., Robinson, G. S., & Casali, J. G. (2004). Temporal separation and self-rating of alertness as indicators of driver fatigue in commercial motor vehicle operators. Human Factors, 46, 154–169.
Boivin, D. B. (2000). Best practices compendium of fatigue countermeasures in transport operations (Report No. TP 13620E). Montreal, Quebec: Transportation Development Centre (TDC).
Brookhuis, K. A., De Waard, D., & Fairclough, S. H. (2003). Criteria for driver impairment. Ergonomics, 46, 433–445.
Brown, I. D. (1997). Prospects for technological countermeasures against driver fatigue. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 29, 525–531.
Dawson, D., & Fletcher, A. (2001). A quantitative model of work-related fatigue: background and definition. Ergonomics, 44, 144–163.
European Commission (2001). White Paper-European transport policy for 2010: time to decide. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
Finnish Road Administration (2005). Public roads in Finland 1.1.2005. http://www.tiehallinto.fi/pls/wwwedit/docs/7994.pdf. Accessed 24 February 2005.
Fletcher, A., & Dawson, D. (2001). A quantitative model of work-related fatigue: Empirical evaluations. Ergonomics, 44, 475–488.
González, N. (2002). Factors affecting simulator-training effectiveness. Jyväskylä, Finland: University of Jyväskylä.
Hoddes, E., Dement, W. C., & Zarcone, V. (1971). The history and use of the Stanford Sleepiness Scale. Psychophysiology, 9, 150.
Hoeglinger, S., Angermann, A., Weiss, V., Yannis, G., Evgenikos, P., Bos, N., et al. (2006). Traffic Safety Basic Facts 2006: Main Figures. http://www.erso.eu/data/content/main_figures.htm#_Main_figures. Accessed 15 March 2007.
tt hh. Hori, T. (1982). Electrodermal and Electro-oculographic activity in a hypnagogic state. Psychophysiology, 19, 668–672.
Horne, J. & Reyner, L. (2001). Sleep-related vehicle accidents: Some guides for road safety policies. Transportation Research Part, F4, 63–74.
Horne, J. A. & Baulk, S. D. (2004). Awareness of sleepiness when driving. Psychophysiology, 41, 161–165.
Iroker (2005). Opel Vectra GTS (Version 2.0) [Computer software]. http://www.iroker.com/e107_plugins/dbase/brand.php?brand=Opel. Accessed 12 July 2006.
Johns, M. W. (1991). A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep, 14, 540–545.
Kauppi, A. I. & González, N. (2008). The psychophysiological prediction of driving quality under fatigue: Simulated driving by sleep-deprived participants. VDM Verlag. Forthcoming.
Kircher, A., Uddman, M., & Sandin, J. (2002). Vehicle Control and Drowsiness. VTI Meddelande 922A. VTI Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.
Knipling, R. R. & Wierwille, W. W. (1994). Vehicle-based drowsy driver detection: Current status and future prospects. In Proceedings of the IVHS America Fourth Annual Meeting (pp. 245–256). April 1994, Atlanta, GA.
Lal, S. K. L. & Craig, A. (2001). A critical review of the psychophysiology of driver fatigue. Biological Psychology, 55, 173–194.
Lal, S. K. L. & Craig, A. (2002). Driver fatigue: Electroencephalography and psychological assessment. Psychophysiology, 39, 313–321.
Liikenneturva (2008). Tilastokatsaus. http://www.liikenneturva.fi/fi/tilastot/liitetiedostot/ Tieliikenne_tilannekatsaus__12_2007.pdf. Accessed 28 January 2008.
Lyytinen, H., Blomberg, A. P., & Näätänen, R. (1992). Event-related potentials and autonomic responses to a change in unattended auditory stimuli. Psychophysiology, 29, 523–534.
Ministry of Transport and Communications Finland (2006). Road safety 2006 –2010. http:// www.mintc.fi/oliver/upl959-OS1_2006.pdf. Accessed 8 August 2006.
Miró, E., Cano-Lozano, M. C., & Buela-Casal, G. (2002). Electrodermal activity during total sleep deprivation and its relationship with other activation and performance measures. Journal of Sleep Research, 11, 105–112.
NASCAR® Racing 2002 Season [Computer software]. (2002). Reading, UK: Vivendi Universal Games UK Ltd (Developer: Papyrus Racing Games. Inc).
NHTSA (1998). Drowsy driving and automobile crashes, NHSDR/NHTSA expert panel on driver fatigue and sleepiness. Report No.: DOT HS 808 707.
Nilsson, T., Nelson, T. M., & Carlson, D. (1997). Development of fatigue symptoms during simulated driving. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 29, 479–488.
Nittono, H., Momose, D., & Hori, T. (2001). The vanishing point of the mismatch negativity at sleep onset. Clinical Neurophysiology, 112, 732–739.
Psychology Software Tools (2002). E-Prime (Version 1.1) [Computer software]. Pittsburgh, PA.
Riemersma, J. B. J., Sanders, A. F., Hildervanck, C., & Gaillard, A. W. (1977). Performance decrement during prolonged night driving. In R. R. Mackie (Ed.), Vigilance: Theory, operational performance and physiological correlates (pp. 41–58). New York: Plenum Press.
Sagberg, F. (1999). Road accidents caused by drivers falling asleep. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 31, 639–649.
Sallinen, M., Kaartinen, J., & Lyytinen, H. (1997). Precursors of the evoked K-complex in event-related brain potentials in stage 2 sleep. Electroencephalography & Clinical Neurophysiology, 102, 363–373.
Summala, H. & Mikkola, T. (1994). Fatal accidents among car and truck drivers: effects of fatigue, age and alcohol. Human Factors, 36, 315–326.
Summala, H., Hakkanen, H., Mikkola, T., & Sinkkonen, J. (1999). Task effects on fatigue symptoms in overnight driving. Ergonomics, 42, 798–806.
van Gaal, R. (2006). RACER [computer software]. http://www.racer.nl. Accessed 21 January 2006.
Verwey, W. B. & Zaidel, D. M. (2000). Predicting drowsiness accidents from personal attributes, eye blinks and ongoing driving behaviour. Personality & Individual Differences, 28, 123–142.
VTT (2000). Head-on and run-off-the-road accidents on rural roads in Finland (Deliverable 4.2 EC FP4 Safestar project).
Williamson, A. M., Feyer, A. M., Mattick, R. P., Friswell, R., & Finlay-Brown, S. (2001). Developing measures of fatigue using an alcohol comparison to validate the effects of fatigue on performance. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 33, 313–326.
Wylie, C. D., Shultz, T., Miller, J. C., Mitler, M. M., & Mackie, R. R. (1996). Commercial motor vehicle driver fatigue and alertness study: Technical summary (Report No.: TP 12876E). Montreal, Quebec: Transportation Development Centre (TDC).
Åkerstedt, T. & Gillberg, M. (1990). Subjective and objective sleepiness in the active individual. International Journal of Neuroscience, 52, 29–37.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
González, N., Kalyakin, I., Lyytinen, H. (2009). RACER: A Non-Commercial Driving Game which Became a Serious Tool in the Research of Driver Fatigue. In: Kankaanranta, M., Neittaanmäki, P. (eds) Design and Use of Serious Games. Intelligent Systems, Control, and Automation: Science and Engineering, vol 37. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9496-5_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9496-5_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9495-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9496-5
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)