**The E** ff**ects of the Driver's Mental State and Passenger Compartment Conditions on Driving Performance and Driving Stress**

#### **Víctor Corcoba Magaña 1,\*, Wilhelm Daniel Scherz 2, Ralf Seepold 2,3, Natividad Martínez Madrid 3,4, Xabiel García Pañeda 1 and Roberto Garcia 1**


Received: 30 July 2020; Accepted: 11 September 2020; Published: 15 September 2020

**Abstract:** Globalization has increased the number of road trips and vehicles. The result has been an intensification of tra ffic accidents, which are becoming one of the most important causes of death worldwide. Tra ffic accidents are often due to human error, the probability of which increases when the cognitive ability of the driver decreases. Cognitive capacity is closely related to the driver's mental state, as well as other external factors such as the CO2 concentration inside the vehicle. The objective of this work is to analyze how these elements a ffect driving. We have conducted an experiment with 50 drivers who have driven for 25 min using a driving simulator. These drivers completed a survey at the start and end of the experiment to obtain information about their mental state. In addition, during the test, their stress level was monitored using biometric sensors and the state of the environment (temperature, humidity and CO2 level) was recorded. The results of the experiment show that the initial level of stress and tiredness of the driver can have a strong impact on stress, driving behavior and fatigue produced by the driving test. Other elements such as sadness and the conditions of the interior of the vehicle also cause impaired driving and a ffect compliance with tra ffic regulations.

**Keywords:** driving safety; driving emotions; driving stress; lifestyle; sensors; heart rate
