Does Hypoxia Make a Difference in Driver Steering Behavior? A Simulator Study

Due to the lower oxygen concentration, drivers’ oxygen saturation decreases in high-altitude environments. This study aims at exploring whether the hypoxia makes a difference in driver steering behavior. Based on the driving simulator data, drivers’ steering behaviors in 12 curve sections under lower oxygen and normal oxygen conditions were compared and analyzed. The results showed that (1) the mean speed in the curve sections under the hypoxic environment was higher compared to the normal environment, but the difference was not significant; (2) the mean steering angle and mean steering velocity in different oxygen conditions had no obvious tendency; and (3) the mean lane offset of the test drivers under the hypoxic environment were larger than that under normal oxygen environment in most of the curve sections, and the significant difference was only observed in one of the 12 curve sections.