OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to examine whether high-risk drivers differ from low-risk drivers in driving behavior in a simulated environment.
METHOD: The two risk groups including 36 drivers altogether (18 males and 18 females) perform driving tasks in a simulated environment. The simulated driving behaviors are compared between two risk groups.
RESULTS: The high-risk drivers drove much faster and exhibited larger offsets of the steering wheel than did the low-risk drivers in events without incidents. Additionally, the high-risk drivers used turn signals and horns less frequently than did the low-risk drivers.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed that the high-risk group differed from the low-risk group in driving behavior in a simulated environment. These results also suggest that simulated driving tasks might be useful tools for the evaluation of drivers' potential risks.