Psychophysiological determinants of drivers' condition

Abstract

The psychophysiological state of vehicle drivers is of key importance for road safety and for the life and health of other users of the transport infrastructure. A number of external factors may contribute to gradual deterioration of the driver’s condition and undiagnosed illness may result in abrupt health disorders. The objective of this paper is to establish, on the basis of tests, surveys, and measurements, an index reflecting the psychophysiological state of a vehicle driver. The research was based on a database of results for a group of 15 rested volunteer drivers. The results were classified into two subgroups corresponding to two components of the index: physiological and psychological. On the basis of arranged data, a method was proposed to calculate the FIZ and PSY indices. As a result of the research, we have obtained determinants of the psychophysiological condition of the subject drivers and a group of correlated indices. They are candidate items (inter alia) of a short survey aimed to verify the short-term condition of a driver.