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Several driving simulators have been developed which range in complexity from PC based driving tasks to advanced "real world" simulators. The AusEd(TM) driving simulator is a PC based task, which was designed to be conducive to and test for driver fatigue. This paper describes the AusEd driving simulator in detail, including the technical requirements, hardware, screen and file outputs, and analysis software. Some aspects of the test are standardized, while others can be modified to suit the experimental situation. The AusEd driving simulator is sensitive to performance decrement from driver fatigue in the laboratory setting, potentially making it useful as a laboratory or office based test for driver fatigue risk management. However, more research is still needed to correlate laboratory based simulator performance with real world driving performance and outcomes.
Several driving simulators have been developed to assess driving ability in clinical situations, ranging in complexity from simple PC based driving simulator tasks to advanced "real-world" simulators, where cars mounted on moving bases respond to driver actions (Findley et al., 1989; Haraldsson, Carenfelt, Laurell, & Tornros, 1990; Juniper, Hack, George, Davies, & Stradling, 2000). These driving simulators have assessed driving ability in elderly drivers (Gianutsos, 1994), drug affected drivers (Moskow- itz & Robinson, 1990; Smiley, 1986, 1987), and fatigued drivers (Lenne, Triggs, & Redman, I 998; Philip, Taillard, Quera-Salva, Bioulac, & Akerstedt, 1999).
Fatigue related road accidents often involve a single vehicle running off the road at high speed; tend to occur on higher speed roadways; and frequently occur at night when there is a circadian increase in sleepiness (Home & Reyner, 1995). The AusEd driving simulator, by simulating a monotonous night time drive on a rural road, was developed to create a driving testing environment appropriate for and conducive to driver fatigue. By providing a nonstimulatory or non"alerting" night time driving environment it is hypothesized that the AusEd driving simulator is less likely to mask performance degradation and reduce the tool's sensitivity (Baulk, Reyner LA, & Horne, 2001; Horne & Baulk, 2004) in assessing driver sleepiness or fatigue. Most other driving simulator programs used in sleep medicine research to date have used more stimulating protocols to assess driving performance and associated sleepiness (Findley et al., 1989; George, Boudreau, & Smiley, 1996b; Haraldsson...