Effect of surrounding landscape on driving behaviour: A driving simulator study

This paper examines how three Swedish landscape types (open, forested, and varied) affect driver behaviour. The study was carried out in 2007 under controlled conditions in the VTI Driving Simulator III, Linköping, Sweden. Qualitative (questionnaires) and quantitative (simulator measurement) data were used. Eighteen subjects were selected, nine men and nine women aged 25–65 years, all licensed to drive for at least five years. Two hypotheses were established based on previous research: 1) landscape character (open, forested, or varied) affects driving behaviour (average speed, variation in lateral vehicle position, and steering wheel grasping frequency); and 2) landscape character affects driver perception of the driving situation. The first was tested in the driving simulator and the second via questionnaires concerning the simulator drive. The results indicate that the driver is affected by different landscape types. In the open landscape, subjects drove faster, did not drive as close to the centre of the road, and grasped the steering wheel more often while simultaneously experiencing less stress. Landscape also appears to be relevant to traffic safety, which has implications for choosing new routes when planning new roads and for maintaining existing roads.