The Effect of Passenger Interaction on Situation Awareness and Driving Performance in Sleep-Deprived Condition

The present study investigates the effect of conversational interaction with a passenger on situation awareness and driving performance during driving in sleep-deprived condition. Twelve male students with mean (±SE) age of 22 (±2) years old participated in this study. They were requested to drive following a 20-min predetermined urban route after 24 h sleep deprivation in the morning on two separated driving sessions. Each drive included either without passenger or with passenger interaction. The results showed that passenger interaction during drowsy driving significantly improved drivers’ situation awareness without enhancing driving performance. From these findings, it suggests that passenger interaction may be beneficial in improving situation awareness during driving in a sleep-deprived condition.