Affiliations: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Mahmoud Shakouri, School of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, 208 Owen Hall, 1501 Southwest Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA. Tel.: +1 225 436 4666; E-mail:shakourm@oregonstate.edu
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Driver workload is an important cognitive factor that
can be associated with frustration and unsafe driving behavior. Extensive
research has shown the impacts of external factors on driving workload.
However, little is known about the influence of individual differences on
driver workload. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this simulation based study are to (a)
examine the associations between individual differences and perceived
driving workload, and (b) identify the variables that significantly
contribute to driver workload within construction work zones. METHODS: Thirty college students (23 males and seven females) navigated
through two different work zone configurations in two levels of traffic
density. Demographic variables such as gender, years of driving experience,
previous traffic offense and type A personality along with driving behavior
questionnaire (DBQ) and driving anger expression inventory (DAX) were used
as fixed factors in this study. Self-reported measures of NASA TLX were
used to collect subjective workload measurement. RESULTS: The results showed that the best predictors of regression
analysis were lapses, adaptive behavior, traffic, gender, work zone layout
and vehicular aggressiveness. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant
associations among individual differences and driver workload suggesting the
need to consider these differences when designing for road safety.
Keywords: Workload, individual differences, work zone safety, NASA-TLX, driving simulator
