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The GMR Driving Simulator was used to study the performance of four teen-aged, novice drivers, two of whom had cerebral palsy. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the potential of the simulator to discriminate between the driving abilities of medically handicapped and non-handicapped individuals. The study concentrated on the psychomotor aspects of lane-keeping performance in the presence of road curvature and environmental disturbances. The study indicates that a dynamically realistic driving simulator could be a valuable screening device for identifying potential performance difficulties in handicapped individuals prior to behind-the-wheel instruction.

The effects of physical motion and vehicle responsiveness on driver performance were investigated with a moving-base driving simulator. Twenty-four subjects were divided into four motion conditions ranging from no motion to roll plus yaw plus attenuated lateral translation. Each motion group drove the simulated vehicle with three levels of tire cornering stiffness. The presence of motion reduced driver control activity and path keeping deviations, but the effects of changing vehicle responsiveness were not disguised by reducing the number of motion cues. The results suggest, however, that motion cues become more important as driving maneuvers become more extreme.