A Workload Approach to the Evaluation of Vehicle Handling Characteristics

Ease of control is a most important dimension in the evaluation of vehicle handling characteristics. An introduction to the workload approach is presented and is then applied to driving. In a series of three studies with different maneuvers, the efficiency and validity of this approach is shown for measuring effects of both the driving task and handling characteristics on the driver. Results prove that subjective effort, measures of performance (especially, operating input), and physiological measures are able to determine workload in the driving environment, sensitivity, and a high degree of diagnostic accuracy. Applications for vehicle construction and driving simulations are discussed.