Driving Experience and Task Demands in Simulator and Instrumented Car: A Validation Study

Abstract

The validity of research results obtained using the fixed-base vehicle simulator of the Institute for Perception TNO was studied during straight-road driving. Absolute and relative validities were mainly evaluated in terms of system performance and driver behavior for inexperienced and experienced drivers, who had to perform lateral and longitudinal vehicle control both in the simulator and in an instrumented car on the road. Task demands for each control were varied with a free and forced accuracy instruction. Overall results showed good absolute and relative validity for longitudinal vehicle control; lateral vehicle control offered good relative validity. Lateral control performance lacked absolute validity due to the drivers' diminished perception of lateral translations (absence of kinesthetic feedback). Drivers were easily able to perceive yaw rotations in the simulator. Performance in the simulator was a more sensitive discriminator of driving experience than was performance in the instrumented car on the road.