Effects of Prolonged Tasks and Rest Patterns on Driver's Visual Behaviors, Driving Performance, and Sleepiness Awareness in Tunnel Environments: A Simulator Study

Driving sleepiness is one of the most important potential causes of traffic accidents, especially for long-distance drivers under monotonous conditions. In this study, 68 professional, male coach drivers were recruited to participate in 2-, 3-, and 4-h driving tasks on a simulated mountainous expressway and then were given a 15- or 30-min rest with or without music stimulus to recover. At the end of each driving task and rest period, the driver’s eye movement indicators, driving performance measures, and subjective sleepiness level were examined via eye tracking device, performance testers, and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale, respectively. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the variation of each variable at different stages. The statistical analysis revealed that the driving duration and rest patterns have significant impacts on the driver’s visual behaviors and driving performance. The participants’ blink duration, eye closure duration, reaction time, number of incorrect action judgments, and subjective level of sleepiness significantly changed as driving time increased. Drivers recovered sufficiently after a general 30-min rest or a 15-min rest with music after 2- and 3-h driving tasks, but required a 30-min rest with music as stimulus after 4-h driving task. These results provide insight into potential strategies for traffic safety improvements among long-distance drivers.