An Assessment of Driver Drowsiness, Distraction, and Performance in a Naturalistic Setting

FOREWORD The purpose of this report is to document the results of a study undertaken to characterize episodes of driver fatigue and drowsiness and to assess the impact of driver fatigue on driving performance. This data mining effort performed additional analyses on the data collected in an earlier Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) study of the effects of fatigue on drivers in local/short-haul operations. In connection to this report, researchers were tasked by the FMCSA to investigate fatigue as a naturally occurring phenomenon by identifying and characterizing episodes of drowsiness that occurred during every period of driving. In addition, the researchers were to determine the operational or driving-environment factors associated with drowsy driving. A total of 2,745 drowsy events were identified in approximately 900 total hours of naturalistic driving video data. Higher levels of fatigue were found to be associated with younger and less experienced drivers. In addition, a strong and consistent relationship was found between drowsiness and the time of day. Drowsy driving events were twice as likely to occur between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., as compared to baseline, or non-fatigued driving, and approximately 30 percent of all observed instances of drowsiness occurred in the first hour of the work shift. This report will be interesting both for motor carrier managers and for drivers as they deal with everyday fatigue issues in the commercial motor vehicle business. NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or the use thereof. The contents of this report reflect the views of the contractor, who is responsible for the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Department of Transportation. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein only because they are considered essential to the object of this document. This report documents the results of a study to characterize episodes of driver drowsiness and to assess the impact of drowsiness on driving performance. This data mining effort performed additional analyses on the data collected in an earlier FMCSA study of the effects of fatigue on drivers in local/short haul operations. The primary objectives of the study were to investigate drowsiness as a …