Research on drivers’ reaction time in different conditions

The study has determined the peculiarities of forming the reaction time of drivers in laboratory and real conditions. The fastest response time in the real conditions was found to be 1.37 seconds in the second age group of the tested drivers. The drivers’ reaction time was by 25 % longer in the first group and by 60 % longer in the third group. The smallest impact of the functional state on the drivers’ reaction time in the laboratory conditions was produced on the drivers of the second age group; the biggest impact was recorded for the drivers of the third group. The duration of the latent period relative to the total duration of the drivers’ reaction time of the drivers varied on average from 30 % to 45 %.It was found that in all age groups the reaction time of male drivers on average was 15 % shorter than of female drivers. The functional state of the drivers was evaluated by the following factors: the stress index, the activity rate of the regulatory systems, as well as the frequency and the average amplitude rhythms on the electroencephalogram. These indices were obtained using the experimental software packages NeuroCom and Cardio Sens. Testing in the real conditions revealed that the drivers’ reaction time was on average twice the value obtained in the laboratory conditions.The reaction time was proven to depend on the drivers’ psychophysiological characteristics, which should be taken into account while determining the safe vehicle speed in projects of automated systems of traffic management.The safe speed modes and speed limits were determined with regard to the patterns of the drivers’ reaction time formation.