Can low cost road engineering measures combat driver fatigue? A driver simulator investigation

Driver fatigue is a major cause of road accidents, accounting for over 20% of serious accidents on motorways and monotonous roads in the UK. This study investigated the potential for low-cost, road-based, engineering measures to act as alerting features in an otherwise monotonous driving environment and hence combat fatigue. 33 drivers took part in the driving simulator study.

There was some evidence of an alerting effect provided to drivers by all three of the treatments tested: chevron road-surface markings, transverse carriageway rumble strips, and variable message signs. However, the alerting effect did appear to be relatively weak and potentially quite short-lived. Nevertheless, there may well be potential for any of the novel alerts to be deployed in the field in a known fatigue-related accident area.