The Effect of Simulator Motion on Driver Performance

The effects of physical motion and vehicle responsiveness on driver performance were investigated with a moving-base driving simulator. Twenty-four subjects were divided into four motion conditions ranging from no motion to roll plus yaw plus attenuated lateral translation. Each motion group drove the simulated vehicle with three levels of tire cornering stiffness. The presence of motion reduced driver control activity and path keeping deviations, but the effects of changing vehicle responsiveness were not disguised by reducing the number of motion cues. The results suggest, however, that motion cues become more important as driving maneuvers become more extreme.