Improving the Safety of Urban Freight Deliveries by Organization of the Transportation Process Considering Driver’s State

Abstract

Nowadays, the problem of ensuring traffic safety has become especially acute due to the growth of the number of enterprises engaged in goods transportation. The driver is the main and direct participant in the implementation of the transport process. The organization of the drivers work significantly influences the level of productivity, efficiency and safety of traffic. The reason for driver errors during long-term driving is fatigue that reduces performance and can form the direct cause of road traffic accidents or an unfavorable condition that complicates the driver’s actions in emergencies. This study assesses the driver’s state evolution when freight is being transported along a set route in a city. The driver’s state is assessed using an indicator of the regulatory systems activity based on the analysis of the driver’s cardiograms during the performance of particular elements of the transport process. The “Driver–Vehicle–Route–Environment” system is described using parameters such as: the driver’s age and driving experience, indicator value of the regulatory systems activity before the start of movement on the route, vehicle attributes, route length and driving time. The impact of each parameter on the driver’s state was evaluated that allowed the parameters of freight transportation technology to be determined, which are rational from the standpoint of reducing driver’s fatigue. The results obtained made it possible to determine a model of the driver’s state evolution during urban freight transportation. The research results can be used by forwarders and transport companies for route planning and scheduling with regard to human factors.