Structural equation model analysis for the evaluation of overall driving performance: A driving simulator study focusing on driver distraction

Objective: The present research relies on 2 main objectives. The first is to investigate whether latent model analysis through a structural equation model can be implemented on driving simulator data in order to define an unobserved driving performance variable. Subsequently, the second objective is to investigate and quantify the effect of several risk factors including distraction sources, driver characteristics, and road and traffic environment on the overall driving performance and not in independent driving performance measures.

Methods: For the scope of the present research, 95 participants from all age groups were asked to drive under different types of distraction (conversation with passenger, cell phone use) in urban and rural road environments with low and high traffic volume in a driving simulator experiment. Then, in the framework of the statistical analysis, a correlation table is presented investigating any of a broad class of statistical relationships between driving simulator measures and a structural equation model is developed in which overall driving performance is estimated as a latent variable based on several individual driving simulator measures.

Results: Results confirm the suitability of the structural equation model and indicate that the selection of the specific performance measures that define overall performance should be guided by a rule of representativeness between the selected variables. Moreover, results indicate that conversation with the passenger was not found to have a statistically significant effect, indicating that drivers do not change their performance while conversing with a passenger compared to undistracted driving. On the other hand, results support the hypothesis that cell phone use has a negative effect on driving performance. Furthermore, regarding driver characteristics, age, gender, and experience all have a significant effect on driving performance, indicating that driver-related characteristics play the most crucial role in overall driving performance.

Conclusions: The findings of this study allow a new approach to the investigation of driving behavior in driving simulator experiments and in general. By the successful implementation of the structural equation model, driving behavior can be assessed in terms of overall performance and not through individual performance measures, which allows an important scientific step forward from piecemeal analyses to a sound combined analysis of the interrelationship between several risk factors and overall driving performance.     

Effects of alcohol at 0.05% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on low speed urban driving

ABSTRACT

Objective: Alcohol-impaired driving presents a continued risk for traffic safety and results in a significant proportion of fatalities on the roadway. We examined how alcohol at a 0.05% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) compares to 0.10% BAC (above the current U.S. legal limit) in terms of impact on driving performance.

Methods: Utilizing a within-subjects design, we recruited 108 healthy experienced drivers who were moderate to heavy drinkers. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, we administered placebo and alcohol at the 0.05% and 0.10% BAC levels in a standardized simulated driving protocol. Drives occurred on the descending limb of the blood alcohol curve. This analysis focuses on the urban portion of the drive

Results: The study observed clear differences in performance for lateral and longitudinal driving performance and glance behavior. Variability in lane keeping and average speed increased with BAC level, with degraded performance observed at 0.05% BAC. The frequency of lane departures and percentage of time focused on the forward roadway at 0.05% BAC did not differ from placebo but differed from the 0.10% BAC level.

Conclusions: Overall, our results show that there is degraded performance in the urban driving environment and that much of that begins at or below the 0.05% BAC level.     

Numerical simulation of small-scale pool fires of LNG

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been largely indicated as a promising alternative solution for the transportation and storage of natural gas. In the case of accidental release on the ground, a pool fire scenario may occur. Despite the relevance of this accident, due to its likelihood and potential to trigger domino effects, accurate analyses addressing the characterization of pool fires of LNG are still missing.In this work, the fire dynamic simulator (FDS) has been adopted for the evaluation of the effects of the released amount of fuel and its composition (methane, ethane, and propane), on the thermal and chemical properties of small-scale LNG pool fire. More specifically, the heat release rate, the burning rate, the flame height, and thermal radiation, at different initial conditions, have been evaluated for pool having diameter smaller than 10 m. Safety distances have been calculated for all the investigated conditions, as well.Results have also been compared with data and correlations retrieved from the current literature. The equation of Thomas seems to work properly for the definition of the height over diameter ratio of the LNG pool fire for all the mixture and the investigated diameters.The addition of ethane and propane significantly affects the obtained results, especially in terms of radiative thermal radiation peaks, thus indicating the inadequacy of the commonly adopted assumption of pure methane as single, surrogate species for the LNG mixture.     

HUD状态下飞行员视觉注意资源分配机制研究

为了解决平视显示器（Head Up Display,HUD）飞行中的注意资源分配问题，基于飞行模拟器，设计双作业飞行任务开展相关研究。基于事件相关电位（Event Related Potential，ERP）技术，选取行为绩效和P300成分为评价指标，采用oddball模式，在双作业飞行任务条件下开展实验研究。结果表明:随主任务难度的增加，主、辅任务的作业绩效均显著下降，被试者对HUD上异常信息的正确操作率降低，且反应时间延长；随主任务难度的增加，由辅任务所诱发的P300的波幅显著降低。在实验结果的基础上，最终提出了HUD状态下飞行员视觉注意资源分配机制。     

太阳模拟器大功率短弧氙灯放电特性试验测试

目的增强太阳模拟器氙灯驱动运行的可靠性,给太阳模拟器研制提供技术保障,针对太阳模拟器大功率短弧氙灯放电特性进行试验研究。方法设计太阳模拟器的大功率短弧氙灯放电特性测试方法,然后通过理论计算和实际测试验证氙灯电源初始电流对短弧氙灯放电特性的影响,并采用增设优化电路的方法对其放电特性进行改善。结果在初始电流为70 A和120 A两种情况下,弧光放电电流到达谷值以后的电流稳定度分别为1.8616和0.9867,增设优化电路后,再次进行短弧氙灯放电特性测量,将初始电流降低到60 A,而稳定度可达到0.5409。结论改善后的电路基本可实现短弧氙灯放电理想状态,完成了对短弧氙灯进入电流击穿阶段后形成的稳定弧光放电电流特性的优化,大大提升了氙灯点灯成功率,为增强太阳模拟器可靠性提供了试验支持。     

基于模糊AHP模型的飞行评价体系

一种正确有效的飞行训练评估方法是保障飞行训练质量的必要前提和基础,而传统的评估方法多采用单一指标评价法或横向指标比较法,这种方法虽然简单易行,但没有充分考虑到评估体系自身的多样性,不能够真实反映飞行训练状态。本文提出了以模糊综合法为主体,专家评价、层次分析法相结合的综合评价方法,通过构造隶属度矩阵,建立飞行训练评估模型,克服了飞行教员评价的主观性,比较全面、客观的进行综合评估,量化计算过程,为真实、有效的飞行训练奠定基础。     

驾驶员雨中面对不同颜色障碍物时制动点选择研究

为研究雨天驾驶员对障碍物颜色的感知特征,保障雨天驾驶安全,利用仿真驾驶平台,研究大雨、中雨、小雨3种状况下,驾驶员面对红、白、黑3种颜色障碍物时的鸣笛点(与障碍物距离设为L1)、刹车点(与障碍物距离设为L2)的选择和行驶初速度(V1)与通过障碍物最小速度(V2)的关系。最后,依据模拟驾驶采集得到的23位驾驶员经过各颜色障碍物的驾驶数据,通过SPSS分析L2,V1的拟合关系,结合安全制动距离模型,建立不同雨量下驾驶员受障碍物颜色影响的行车安全模型。结果表明:运行速度相同时,红色障碍物对应的L1,L2值明显大于黑色和白色对应的值;面对同种颜色的障碍物时,随着雨量的增加,V2值不断减小,而V1越大,V2值越大。     

前车突然切入时驾驶人应激生理特性研究

为研究前车突然切入对驾驶人生理负荷的影响,利用MP150生理监测系统对22名被试进行虚拟驾驶试验。采集记录前车突然切入时被试的生理参数。研究驾驶人心率增长率和心率变异性(HRV)指标与车速、应激距离之间的关系。结果表明:自车速度为100 km/h时,随着前车切入距离从55.6 m减小到27.8 m,被试的平均心率增长率从16.21%增大到23.27%,HRV参数低频(LF)值也呈现下降趋势。前车切入距离一定,随着自车车速从60 km/h增加到120 km/h,被试的平均心率增长率存在显著性差异,平均从13.05%上升到21.85%。差异性检验结果表明,前车切入距离和自车速度发生变化时驾驶人的生理负荷变化趋势一致,但自车速度因素对驾驶人生理负荷的影响程度高于切入距离因素。     

对应分析在CFIT事故致因研究中的应用

为揭示可控飞行撞地(CFIT)事故致因规律,根据Reason-SHEL模型得出的10个CFIT事故致因因子,分析从飞行安全基金会数据库中整理出的2006—2011年间40起CFIT事故。在此基础上建立CFIT事故年份-成因列联表,再利用SPSS软件对表格进行对应分析。将事故成因和年份同时反映在二维散点图中,实现数据可视化。最后对图形进行向量、圆心接近点以及区域化等3项分析。根据结果得出,CFIT事故的主成因是人因操作和外界环境;随着年份增加,飞行员状态(药物/疲劳、经验不足)对造成CFIT事故的重要性越来越明显;不同年份有不同的重要致因因子。     

Precision teaching to improve drivers’ lane maintenance

Introduction: This study investigates the effect of precision teaching signals on lane maintenance. Methods: In experiment 1, the control group drove a simulator with no signals. In experiment 2, drivers were presented with auditory signals depending on their position within or outside the lane. In experiment 3, visual signals were presented in addition to auditory signals to examine the effect of redundancy on drivers’ lane maintenance. Results: Results showed an improvement in lane maintenance in experiment 2. Cross-experiment analysis indicated this effect not to be the result of learning. Data from experiment 3 also showed that presenting redundant signals did not further reduce lane variability or help drivers maintain a more central position within the lane. Conclusions: Taken together, data suggest precision teaching be effective as an educational tool to improve lane maintenance. Practical Applications: Our study shows the potential for precision teaching to serve as a valuable tool in driver training.