Driving simulators are becoming increasingly common in driver training and assessment.
Since virtual reality is generally regarded as an appropriate environment for measuring
risk behavior, simulators are also used to assess hazard perception, which is considered
to be one of the most important skills for safe driving. Simulators, which offer challenges
that are indeed comparable to driving in real traffic, but at a very low risk of physical
injury, have the potential to complement theoretical and practical driver trainings and
tests. Although configurations and fidelity differ considerably between driving simulators,
studies comparing the impact of their distinct features on driving performance and
test validity remain rare. In this context, prior research demonstrated that a wider
field of view (three monitors compared to a single monitor) led to earlier speed
adjustments in response to potential hazards—especially for experienced drivers. The
wider field of view was assumed to cause the drivers to be more present in the
virtual world, which in turn provoked more natural scanning of the road and therefore,
earlier hazard detection in experienced drivers. Research on spatial presence in other
contexts support this assumption. The present experiment investigated whether this
effect could be enhanced by an even more immersive presentation technique for driving
simulation: a head-mounted display (HMD). Moreover, we studied the interplay between
display mode, sense of presence and simulation sickness. Eighty experienced and
less experienced drivers completed six simulation-based hazard perception scenarios,
which were displayed either via a triple-monitor set-up or an HMD. Results indicate
that the experienced drivers showed very similar driving and risk behavior as the
inexperienced drivers in both experimental conditions. However, there were significant
differences between the two display conditions. The use of an HMD resulted in a
clearer and more abrupt speed reduction, more virtual presence, and a higher degree of
simulation sickness. However, the interrelation between these three variables could not
be conclusively clarified in the present study and thus represents a research aim that
could be addressed in future studies