Changes in Subsidiary Reaction Time and Heart-Rate During Car Driving, Passenger Travel and Stationary Conditions*

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Abstract
A reaction time (RT) task was used in three conditions, each lasting 2 h, during which six female subjects: (i) drove on a 5 km closed track, (ii) were driven as passenger on the same track, and (iii) were tested in a stationary vehicle. There was an increase in RT only in the driving condition. Furthermore, there was a progressively greater increase in RT over the three successive test sessions, independent of the order in which conditions were tested. Measurement of hoart-rato (HE) showed that HR deereasod only in the driving and the passenger conditions, and that the docreaso in HR became progressively smaller over the three sossions. Consequently RT-data and HR-data (interpreted as indicating lovel of arousal) provided contra-indications of changes in driving proficiency.