FULL-SCALE RUNNING TRIALS FOR STUDY OF CLIMATIC FACTORS AFFECTING A DRIVER AT HIGH TEMPERATURES
Results of climatic studies that demonstrate the hard working conditions of a driver at summer temperatures, are presented. Influence of high temperature on the physiological state of a man driving a vehicle (increased fatigue, decreased attention, increased number of errors) is demonstrated. At that, it is not always possible to provide the climate in the cabin using an air conditioner, due to technical impossibility or environmental insecurity. Many similar studies conducted earlier were incorrect, and they did not reveal really dangerous factors. To identify the impact of real temperature factors on a driver, running trials were conducted in conditions of the Moscow region, as well as in southern regions of Russia. For the research a VAZ car was chosen, because it is simple and easy to operate, and the ventilation system is convenient for conducting experiments. At that, the volume of the habitable (passenger) compartment of the car corresponds to volumes of modern and advanced cabins of special wheeled and tracked vehicles, which allows us to consider reliable the obtained results of temperature studies. Temperature measurements were carried out in the area of the driver's head, chest, abdomen, thighs and feet; for the most part, they clearly exceeded the permissible norms. Overheating in autumn weather conditions under influence of direct solar radiation can also negatively affect a driver's condition. Studies of humidity parameters affecting a driver in the cabin when moving at high temperatures differ from the data given earlier by other researchers. Tests were carried out to determine the efficiency of ventilation in various modes of vehicle in motion.