The Human in the Transport System

Our research on driver impairment in traffic concerns drivers who are temporarily unable to drive safely. Fatigue, distraction, alcohol or drugs are examples that can quickly and significantly impair attention, judgment and driving ability. Our goal is to reduce the number of impaired drivers, develop methods to detect these conditions in time and to develop solutions and countermeasures that can prevent accidents and save lives – both inside and outside the vehicle.

The research focuses on several key questions:

1. How can we ensure that everyone who drives is fit-to-drive?
2. How can road systems, technology and education help reduce risks?
3. How can we build in an extra layer of safety that comes into play when the driver makes a mistake?

A large proportion of all traffic accidents can be linked to impaired driving. Around 20% of all fatal traffic accidents are alcohol-related, around 20% involve fatigue, and in around 10% of cases, distraction is a contributing factor. These conditions not only affect reaction time but also the driver's ability to interpret complex traffic situations and make the right decisions at the right time.

We also investigate myths about driving ability. One myth is that you can get used to fatigue, but in reality you become numb and stop noticing the fatigue while your performance deteriorates. Another is that alcohol would improve your sleep – in fact, it worsens the quality of sleep, which increases the risk of fatigue and impairs your driving ability.

Specific research areas

• Testing and evaluating technical systems that detect temporary impairments in drivers, for example through eye movements or driving behavior, and suggesting measures such as taking a break or stopping at the next rest area.
• We also conduct basic research on how different conditions affect driving ability, including local sleep where parts of the brain fall asleep without the driver noticing it.
• We also research peripheral vision and how attention and distraction affect the driver's focus on the road.

The research focus takes into account several perspectives. We study both everyday and professional drivers, where differences in responsibility, exposure and working conditions affect the risks. Geographic and social factors also play a role – from children navigating complex traffic environments on their way to school, to professional drivers driving long shifts on the motorway.

What makes our research unique is our expertise and legal permission to conduct experiments in real life, with real people in realistic situations. We have a world-class physiological laboratory with equipment that measures brain activity, eye movements, heart rate, muscle activation, gaze behavior and more. We have cutting-edge expertise in experimental design, advanced statistics, algorithm development and signal processing.

We conduct experiments with tired drivers on the motorway, alcohol-impaired drivers on a test track, and distracted drivers in occlusion experiments (temporarily blocking vision). The research is based on the interaction between technology, psychology, behavioural science and medicine, and is characterised by advanced design, measurements and analyses in both simulated and real environments.

The results from the research have already had a major impact. Our studies form the basis for concrete improvements in both policy and technology, for example the introduction of grooves on roads to counteract fatigue accidents. We have contributed with the theoretical attention model Minimum Required Attention (MiRA) that develops the understanding of attention, and have taken the step from theory to practical application with the algorithm AttenD, which can detect distraction in real time.

Our research also shows that detection systems must be individually adapted to work in practice. Our results are used as a basis for legislation and regulations that strengthen the safety of both road users and technical systems. But also as a basis for product development and validation of driver assistance systems.

Examples of projects in the area

• Vehicle Driver Monitoring, where we studied individual differences in how fatigue and cognitive load develop over time,
• Fit2Drive about the impact of alcohol on attention and driving ability,
• Active Travel, which examines children's attention requirements in the traffic environment when they cycle or walk to school,
• Panacea, focusing on how professional traffic can be given better conditions to drive safely during long, scheduled and demanding shifts.

Through many smaller studies that together build robust knowledge, we can identify patterns and develop solutions that save lives and reduce suffering, both for those who drive and for those around them.

Our research on interactions in the transport system focuses on the interaction between road users and between people and technology. By examining how we communicate, act and react in different traffic environments, the research contributes to increased road safety and a more accessible and attractive transport system for everyone.

Interactions in traffic environments cover many different situations and interaction paths. This can involve the interaction between driver-driver, driver-vehicle, driver-pedestrian/cyclist, cyclist-pedestrian, etc. We also study how road user behavior is influenced by social factors, for example whether you travel alone or in a group, where group dynamics can change how risks are perceived and how decisions are made.

A growing area is the interaction between people and technology – for example between drivers and driver assistance systems, or between unprotected road users and automated vehicles. Here we investigate how external interfaces (HMI) can signal intentions, for example through lights or symbols, to create clearer communication and safer interaction in the traffic environment.

A specific area that we have studied in more detail is the conditions of cyclists, especially in rural areas, where research has contributed knowledge about the factors that influence how overtaking is experienced and what cyclists perceive as a safe overtaking. We have also made proposals for regulatory changes that take these research results into account.

The research considers both behavioral and technical aspects. Changes in the system that benefit one group of road users can also have knock-on effects for others, which makes it necessary to analyze both the individual level and the system level. Our research therefore includes questions about how road users perceive and adapt to technology, but also how the interaction is affected by location, the traffic environment and the social contexts in which the interactions take place.

Methodologically, research in this direction is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach where knowledge from several different research fields is combined. The group has access to well-developed research infrastructure and long and broad experience, which makes it possible to tackle complex questions about the interaction in the transport system.

Our results are used both as a knowledge base in research and as support in the development of standards and regulations, such as guidelines for communication systems in vehicles.

Over the years, our studies have contributed to new solutions having an impact on society, such as the design of safer bus stops and temporary cycle paths during roadworks. All research results are made openly available, which allows other actors to use and build on the knowledge. In this way, the research contributes to both practical solutions and long-term societal benefit.

Our research on inclusion and accessibility within the transport system focuses on how different groups in society are given opportunities to reach important functions, participate in social contexts and make safe and sustainable transport choices. The starting point is that transport in itself is rarely an end in itself but a means to achieve something else, for example working, going to school, visiting shops or carrying out various leisure activities.

Accessibility and inclusion encompass both social and ecological sustainability goals. Whose sustainability goals?
We study how digitalisation and technological development can be made inclusive and adapted so that the elderly, children and people with functional variations have equal opportunities to travel as others. A central track is to understand how emerging mobility solutions can enable both accessibility and mobility for different groups.

The user perspective is a fundamental part of the research. We investigate how services and systems should be designed to meet the needs and expectations of different groups, and how new solutions can be anchored with users to achieve real benefit. This is done through methods such as fieldwork, Living Labs, focus groups and co-creation.

Interdisciplinarity and application are characteristic of our research environment. VTI combines expertise from several research fields and conducts independent, applied research with a focus on practical problems. With resources in the form of research equipment and strong research platforms, we contribute knowledge of high scientific quality to decision-makers, funders and societal actors.

Examples of projects in the area include Ride the Future, a research platform for studying user perspectives and technology development in real environments, as well as initiatives such as Mistra Sams, SuRuMo, Diversify-CCAM, Heidi, Digital accompaniment and Dilemmazoner. The projects show how research can be translated into societal benefit and contribute to both transport policy goals and the development of future mobility that is accessible to all.

Through this research, we want to investigate and deepen knowledge about how transport services and mobility solutions can be designed to benefit citizens and contribute to a more fair, inclusive and sustainable transport system.