Driving slow motorised vehicles with visual impairment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a physical rest-frame, habituation and age on simulator sickness in an advanced mobility scooter driving simulator. Twenty-six young adults and 34 older adults completed a total of twelve drives in an advanced mobility scooter driving simulator over two visits. A 2x2 crossover design was used to measure the effect of the rest frame that was added to the driving simulator on either the first or second visit. After each driving session, participants completed the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) to measure simulator sickness symptoms. A significant decrease in simulator sickness was observed between the first and the second visit. Older adults reported more severe simulator sickness symptoms compared to younger participants. No effect of rest-frame could be found. In conclusion, habituation appears to be the most effective method to reduce simulator sickness in an advanced mobility scooter driving simulator. More research is needed to investigate simulator sickness in patient groups. Appendices