This project investigated the effect of seat cushion design in large commercial trucks on driver fatigue and vehicle safety. The project included field tests and evaluations, and development of guidelines for improving truck seat design to address driver fatigue.
This effort was motivated by the findings by the U.S. Department of Transportation and others that fatigue is a major factor in commercial vehicle accidents. The issues related to human fatigue (the long-term physical effect) are quite different and far more complex than those related to comfort (the short-term effect on human body) that have been studied extensively in the past.
The project validated the findings of Virginia Tech’s laboratory studies, by investigators conducting a series of field tests and evaluations using class 8 trucks. This included the tests on a semi-truck (i.e., a Volvo VN Series class 8 truck) at the Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory of Virginia Tech. The tests, which included both subjective and objective evaluations, were aimed at better understanding the relationship between seat design and driver fatigue and vehicle safety, in terms of driver alertness and attentiveness, reduced rates of accidents, frequency of near misses, and ability to perform the tasks that are commonly required during driving.
