Driver training conditions affect sensitivity to the impairing effects of alcohol on a simulated driving test [corrected].
Research shows that prior behavioral training in a challenging environment reduces alcohol-induced impairment on simple psychomotor tasks. However, no studies have examined if this relationship generalizes to driving performance. The present study examined simulated driving performance and tested the hypothesis that a challenging training history would protect against the impairing effects of alcohol on driving performance. The challenging training history involved driving in a visually-impoverished environment. Thirty adults were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Two groups were tested under alcohol (0.65 g/kg) after prior experience performing the task under either a visually-impoverished environment or a normal visual environment. The remaining group served as a control and was trained and tested under the visually-impoverished condition environment. Results showed that individuals trained in the impoverished environment displayed sober levels of performance when their performance was subsequently tested under alcohol. By contrast, volunteers trained in a normal environment showed impairment under alcohol. The findings suggest that differences in driving training history can affect a driver's sensitivity to the impairing effects of alcohol.
Harrison
Emily L R
EL
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, USA.
Marczinski
Cecile A
CA
Fillmore
Mark T
MT
D000054:Acceleration; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001333:Automobile Driver Examination / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol