Driving Simulator Performance in Novice Drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Executive Functions and Basic Motor Skills

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate poorer driving performance than their peers and are less likely to obtain a driver's license. This study aims to examine the relationship between driving performance and executive functioning for novice drivers, with and without ASD, using a driving simulator. Forty-four males (ages 15-23), 17 with ASD and 27 healthy controls, completed paradigms assessing driving skills and executive functioning. ASD drivers demonstrated poorer driving performance overall and the addition of a working memory task resulted in a significant decrement in their performance relative to control drivers. Results suggest that working memory may be a key mechanism underlying difficulties demonstrated by ASD drivers and provides insight for future intervention programs.

A Pilot Study Assessing Performance and Visual Attention of Teenagers with ASD in a Novel Adaptive Driving Simulator

“…This result is in line with the reported outcomes of previous studies investigating driving in individuals with ASD (Classen et al 2013; Cox et al 2016; Daly et al 2014; Cox et al 2017). Notably, the majority of the observed trial errors occurred during driving tasks that involved turning the vehicle.…”

“…The anecdotal experiences of these parents are supported by the extant literature, which suggests that ASD symptoms may compromise one’s ability to learn to drive and do so safely (Classen et al 2013; Cox et al 2016; Daly et al 2014; Reimer et al 2013; Chee et al 2017). However, the empirical evidence is limited regarding the nature and extent of the influence that these features have on driving skills.…”

“…They found that, compared to controls, the ASD group demonstrated significantly more driving errors (e.g., lane-maintenance and speed-regulation). Cox et al (2016) also showed that drivers with ASD demonstrated significantly more errors than their TD counterparts in a driving simulator with respect to collisions, changing lanes without using a turn signal, and exceeding the speed limit, to list only a few.…”

On a First Evaluation of ROMOT—A RObotic 3D MOvie Theatre—For Driving Safety Awareness

“…The developed virtual reality environment was projected on a large screen reproducing a drive on a monotonous country road. Another example is shown in [3], where the targeted users are novice drivers with autism spectrum disorder. The tests were performed with a commercial simulator that displays a 210 • field of view on a curved screen inside an eight-foot cylinder.…”

Inducing self-motion sensations in driving simulators using force-feedback and haptic motion

“…As for today, driving simulators are extensively used in entertainment (e.g., video games, arcade, theme parks), but also professional contexts. They can be used for studying the behaviour of the driver and/or the vehicle [6,11,13], for designing driving aid systems [14], for designing and testing accessibility of embedded human-computer interfaces [25,26] or road infrastructures [28].…”