Driver Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Responses to Single-Day Highway Work Zones with Unexpected Lane Hazards

Abstract

Single-day highway work zones introduce temporary lane closures, altered traffic flow, and constrained maneuvering space that may affect drivers’ cognitive, emotional, and behavioral states. Despite their prevalence, the human-factors implications of short-term work zones, especially when combined with unexpected hazards, remain underexplored. This study examines how typical single-day work-zone layouts and minor unexpected objects influence driver workload, emotional state, and driving behavior. A high-fidelity VR-based driving simulator was developed to replicate a three-lane highway with a temporary daytime maintenance work zone, including realistic signage, cone delineation, and ambient traffic. Thirty-five licensed drivers completed a familiarization drive followed by three conditions: Baseline highway driving, a Work-Zone condition with right-lane closure, and an Events condition in which unexpected objects (e.g., displaced cones) appeared in the travel lane. Measures included subjective workload (DALI), emotional state (SAM), and driving performance metrics. Results showed significant increases in mental and temporal demand, self-reported stress, and emotional arousal in the Events condition compared to Baseline and Work-Zone driving. Speed variability was also higher in both Work-Zone and Events conditions than in Baseline, indicating sustained changes in longitudinal speed control. These findings indicate that even brief single-day work zones can substantially elevate driver demand, and that minor unexpected hazards can markedly amplify cognitive and emotional strain, with implications for temporary traffic-control design and safety.

Keywords: Single-day Work Zones, Driver Workload, Emotional Arousal, Driving Behavior

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007369