The Use of EMG and Video to Decompose Driver Crash Avoidance and Bracing Response

This paper describes how, while a number of physiological variables are used to assess driver performance, the use of electromyography (EMG) to examine the onset and amplitude of response has been relatively rare. In this study, surface EMG was used to complement a frame-by-frame video analysis of driver posture in a simulated head-on crash. To determine how EMG adds to the overall understanding of the pre-crash bracing response, five females and five males (mean age =35.4; SD = 7.7) participated in a motion-base driving simulator experiment in which they experienced an unexpected head-on crash with a semi-truck. The onset and amplitude of muscular response in the finger flexors, mid cervical extensors, and trapezius muscles were collected at 1000 Hz and integrated into driving simulator data. A frame-by-frame analysis was also completed to decompose driver posture and bracing. A probability analysis among non-vehicle control parameters (e.g., acceleration, braking, steering) revealed that 100% of the drivers had some element of head withdrawal away from the frontal crash. The results also showed that EMG data were robust at showing onset of driver response to a simulated head-on crash. Because driving simulation environments are rich in electronic noise from projectors, actuators, and other electronic equipment, special consideration for shielding EMG is required.