Highlights The horizontal curve was the main researched topic using a driving simulator. Speed showed a more direct relationship with radius than lateral position measures. The current practice of experiments revealed potential sources of bias. Lack of uniformity and deficiencies in reporting limited studies' comparison. Adoption of good experimental practices allowed the detection of minor effects.
Abstract Several factors can influence driver behaviour, and road geometry is one of them. A better understanding of driver-roadway interaction can enhance road design to create a safer traffic system. In this context, driving simulators are powerful tools that combine convenience and effectiveness in identifying drivers' responses to different geometry factors. In this paper, a systematic review following a Prisma guideline was conducted on driving simulator studies that examined the effects of road geometry on driver behaviour to reveal the current procedures adopted in this field and their main findings. A systematic search of eleven databases was performed covering six years of research results. Inclusion of relevant studies focused on horizontal curves, a topic identified as the most cited, extended this period. The results revealed significant heterogeneity in relation to the measured variables and deficiencies when reporting the experiment, which prevented a meta-analysis of the studies' outcomes. Despite this, a discussion of the potential of driving simulators to contribute to several road safety research gaps is presented. In addition, problems of a lack of standardisation in the performance of the experiments were detected, potentially influencing the findings of the studies. However, the results also suggest that experiments that followed good experimental practices observed effects on driver performances not detected by other studies.
Driving simulators to evaluate road geometric design effects on driver behaviour: A systematic review
2020-11-19
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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