Our Mission:


Vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injury and death in North America. Driver behaviour is a factor in the majority of these crashes. The goal of our research is to find ways to reduce the number of crashes by studying factors related to crash risk in safe (virtual) environments -- in short, by using a driving simulator. The University of Guelph DRIVE lab makes use of a high fidelity simulator: A car body surrounded by wrap-around viewing screens that immerse participants in a virtual reality driving environment.

Research:


Age and experience as it affects driving performance

One of the best predictors of crash risk is the age of the driver. There are two groups that are disproportionately at risk: the youngest drivers, whose lack of experience may cause them to do risky things, and the oldest drivers, who face special challenges despite their extensive experience and increased concern with safety.

  • Inexperienced drivers - and in particular young inexperienced drivers - are at exceptionally high risk of collision. Our goal is to find ways to reduce these risks by finding better ways to train and test young drivers. This information may also be used to inform policy decisions about graduated licensing programs.
  • Older drivers face other challenges. Collisions are especially dangerous for older drivers because, compared to younger drivers, older drivers are more likely to die or sustain serious injury as a result. Our research suggests that although some older drivers out-perform younger drivers, for some there are situations where they are especially at risk. By understanding the nature of these risks, it may be possible to find ways to help older drivers to maintain their safety and mobility longer, through education and training. As well, this information can be used to inform the design of cars and driving environments and can help in the development and evaluation of tests designed to identify drivers at risk.

    Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

    Drivers with ADHD are at 2-4 times higher risk of collisions than the general population. They are 3 times more likely to cause injury in those collisions, and 4 times more likely to be found to be the at fault driver. Research has also found that they are up to 6 times more likely to receive speeding tickets and up to 8 times more likely to have their license suspended. We have several research projects underway investigating ways to reduce the risks associated with drivers who have ADHD.

    Factors that affect attention: emotions, distraction

    It's easy to become distracted while driving on the road. Once the driver
    has experience driving, the process becomes more automatic, allowing
    attention to wander. Emotions can become charged by stimuli both outside
    and inside of the vehicle: Car crashes, billboards, and conversations with
    passengers to name a few. There are also factors that can be distracting
    without necessarily having emotional components involved: Tuning a radio,
    talking on a cell phone (hands-free included), and using a GPS unit. With so
    many potential distractions, it is more important than ever for researchers
    to look at ways to reduce the danger to not only the drivers, but also others
    around them.


    The impact of new technologies

    This is a period of rapid change with more and more technologies being introduced into vehicles that may have an impact on driver performance. Cellular telephones, in-vehicle faxes, personal computers, and DVD players as well as new systems designed to provide drivers with travel information, warn of collisions, or help with night driving need to be tested. This is especially true with drivers at risk and in risky situations to ensure that these systems benefit drivers and do not endanger them. This information can be used to help inform product design.

    Road safety

    Whenever a new road is built or a new signage plan is developed, it requires
    careful thought. Poorly designed driving environments can cause confusion
    among drivers, and this confusion may contribute to collisions or traffic
    delays. When new driving environments are developed, it can be useful to
    test out the design before the road is built. By building a virtual reality model
    of the new driving environment in the driving simulator, and then testing it
    out on a sample of drivers, it is possible to try out the road design before
    large amounts of money are devoted to construction. The image to the right
    is one such project, where the idea of a roundabout on the end of Highway
    406 near Welland is being tested virtually before it is built.


    Adaptation to sensory conflict in virtual realities

    When people are in a driving simulator, they are immersed in a virtual reality
    that is so realistic that they actually feel they are moving down the road.
    However, driving simulators are just one type of immersive virtual reality. There
    are also flight simulators, train simulators, naval simulators, and crane
    simulators to name a few. Simulators of various types have been used
    increasingly in training. There are immense advantages to using simulation in
    training because if the novice makes a mistake, the results are not cata-
    strophic: There will be no injuries or property damage. It also allows people to
    train for situations that may be uncommon in every day operations, but require
    quick and accurate responses to avoid major problems. However, there are important differences in the body's response to an activity in real-life as compared to that same activity in a simulator. For example, in a simulator, the eyes receive messages that conflict with those from the vestibular system. We are looking at how the body responds and adapts to this mismatch of sensory information, and how this affects how the user feels and behaves in virtual realities. We are also investigating interventions designed to reduce sensory mismatch.

    Funding:


    Canadian Foundation for Innovation
    Ontario Innovation Trust
    Auto21 National Centre of Excellence
    CanDRIVE
    Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation
    Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

    Links:









    Canadian Foundation for Innovation
    Transport Canada
    Jeff Caird's Lab
    Driving Wiki
    Inrets Driving Simulator Links
    Department of Psychology
    Department of Computing and Information Science