Effects of prolonged truck driving on drive safety based on real road driving

To investigate the effects of prolonged monotonous daytime driving on fatigue, reaction time, workload and driving speed, a real road driving has been conducted. To objectively assess the driver´s state, workload, fatigue, reaction time and speed are recorded every one hour. Data analysis is based on PASW Statistic 18.0 statistical software. Results show that prolonged daytime driving under monotonous conditions leads to severe fatigue, which, to some extent, results in the increase of driving speed. Compared to the control group, drivers feel more fatigue. The subjective workload and reaction do not vary significantly over the prolonged driving time, and the significant difference between the driving group and the control group is not defined. These findings indicate the deterioration of fatigue and driving performance occurs after approximately 3 h of continuous monotonous daytime driving. It is highly recommended that the driver should take a rest after 3 h of continuous driving.