Commercial Truck Driver Performance in Emergency Maneuvers and Extreme Roadway Conditions Presented in a Driving Simulator

There is a continual demand for qualified commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in the United States. However, current standards do not provide requirements for CMV drivers, and proposed rules addressing minimum training requirements only address entry-level (novice) driver training. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of a full-mission CMV driving simulator to present scenarios relevant to defensive driver training for experienced CMV drivers, including emergency maneuvers and extreme roadway conditions, and the associated driver responses to those scenarios. A total of 48 participants across three trailer types (van-, double-, and tanker-trailers) and experience levels served as participants and completed simulated driving – including 12 emergency maneuvers and 10 extreme roadway conditions – and received a rating as to their performance on the task. Results indicated that the majority of participants across all trailer types and experience levels typically responded appropriately to the scenarios. However, approximately 30% of experienced drivers did not respond appropriately in the scenarios. The results suggest that a CMV driving simulator can be an appropriate refresher or defensive driving training tool for experienced drivers, and that further research examining experienced driver training is warranted.