Truck driving simulator effectiveness

Truck driving simulator effectiveness Conference

Hoskins, A, El-Gindy, M, Vance, R et al. (2002). Truck driving simulator effectiveness . 51-57. 10.1115/IMECE2002-32964

The Pennsylvania Truck Driving Simulator (PTDS) has been implemented in several different studies. The effectiveness of utilizing the simulator for training heavy truck operators was investigated through a study with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT). Thirty-four highway equipment operator trainees from PENNDOT completed a series of driving tasks in the simulator. The driving tasks were developed as five independent driving scenarios within the simulator each requiring different skills. Measures of driver performance included ratings from professional driving instructors and numerical records from the simulator's recording capability. These were analyzed to determine if a) students improved their driving through completing the driving scenarios, and b) the two sets of data agreed in the assessment of driver performance. This paper presents the results of this study, which showed that students' driving skill did improve as they completed the driving tasks. The vehicle dynamics response measurement data also largely agreed with the instructors' evaluation. Copyright © 2002 by ASME.