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Effects of alcohol on automated and controlled driving performances

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Abstract

Rationale

Alcohol is the most frequently detected substance in fatal automobile crashes, but its precise mode of action is not always clear.

Objective

The present study was designed to establish the influence of blood alcohol concentration as a function of the complexity of the scenarios. Road scenarios implying automatic or controlled driving performances were manipulated in order to identify which behavioral parameters were deteriorated.

Method

A single blind counterbalanced experiment was conducted on a driving simulator. Sixteen experienced drivers (25.3 ± 2.9 years old, 8 men and 8 women) were tested with 0, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.8 g/l of alcohol. Driving scenarios varied: road tracking, car following, and an urban scenario including events inspired by real accidents. Statistical analyses were performed on driving parameters as a function of alcohol level.

Results

Automated driving parameters such as standard deviation of lateral position measured with the road tracking and car following scenarios were impaired by alcohol, notably with the highest dose. More controlled parameters such as response time to braking and number of crashes when confronted with specific events (urban scenario) were less affected by the alcohol level.

Conclusion

Performance decrement was greater with driving scenarios involving automated processes than with scenarios involving controlled processes.

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Notes

  1. In the DRUID project, the objective was to dispose of baseline impairments due to different levels of alcohol for comparison with impairments due to other licit and illicit drugs.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partly funded by the TREN-05-FP6TR-SO7.61320-518404-Druid project and partly funded by IFSTTAR. We would like to thank the IFSTTAR simulation team (LEPSIS: Laboratoire Exploitation, Perception, Simulateurs et Simulations), notably Isabelle Aillerie and Fabrice Vienne, for designing the displays. We would also like to thank Sylvie Hirt, Claudine Nachtergaële, and Mohamed Meskali for their help and assistance for the simulator-based data collection and processing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Development and Networks (IFSTTAR), Laboratory of Accident Mechanism Analysis (LMA), Chemin de la Croix-Blanche, 13300, Salon de Provence, France

    Catherine Berthelon

  2. Department of Medical Information, Hospital Center, 207 Avenue Julien Fabre, 13300, Salon de Provence, France

    Guy Gineyt

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  1. Catherine Berthelon
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  2. Guy Gineyt
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Correspondence to Catherine Berthelon.

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Berthelon, C., Gineyt, G. Effects of alcohol on automated and controlled driving performances. Psychopharmacology 231, 2087–2095 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3352-x

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