When Are Driving Simulator Tests Favored?
In driving research, there is no one best tool. Sometimes one needs a screwdriver and sometimes a hammer. In driving, the options are often to conduct a paper and pencil evaluation, to use a simple mockup, to collect data in a driving simulator, or to collect data on the road. The “road” can refer to a test track or a public road. Often, the selection of a test context is between in a simulator and on the road (in a real vehicle). The simulated situation provides complete control of the test situation. The exact same conditions of weather, road surface condition, ambient illumination, vehicle positions, and speeds, etc., can be repeated time and time again, and for every subject. In the real word, even with confederate vehicles, there are some things beyond control, with the weather being one of them. Simulators are also favored where risk to drivers is an issue. People cannot really die in a driving simulation, so they can be exposed to crash provocative situations that a human subjec
