Abstract
A driving simulator was used to investigate the effects of obstructive sleep apnea hyperventilation syndrome (OSAHS) on a sample of 12 hired drivers (including bus and taxi drivers). The test scene was a two-way, four-lane ring road with a design speed of 80 km/h in a free-flow traffic state. OSAHS drivers drove for 10 min before the formal experiment so as to become familiar with the vehicles and road environment. Then each driver had three 30-min driving sessions: a 30-min stimulus session, 30 min of driving before a rest, and 30 min of driving after a rest. The OSAHS drivers were asked not to stop driving except for major personal reasons. At the end of each driving session, subjects were asked the cause of driving errors and when they did not feel well. OSAHS drivers' driving characteristics (behavior) were studied, such as their ability to control speed, trajectory control, and accident frequency in the conditions of the three 30-min driving sessions. The results showed that 85% of the OSAHS drivers took measures to slow down immediately after being informed of driving over the speed limit. Drivers were driving with excess speed for 25% of the total driving time without being notified by a stimulus; they could feel vibration; and they could adjust the wheel to let the vehicle back into the normal lane. Significantly fewer accidents happened after the rest than happened before the rest. The following countermeasures for these characteristics are suggested to improve OSAHS drivers' safety and consequently reduce road accidents: temporary lounges at service zones, vibration belts along the roadside, and speed alarms.
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