Effect of variable priority training on police officer driving performance and workload

Area of Science:

• Traffic Safety
• Human Factors in Policing
• Cognitive Training

Background:

• Motor vehicle crashes are a primary cause of police injuries and fatalities.
• In-vehicle technologies are a significant factor contributing to these crashes.
• Police training inadequately covers the use of in-vehicle technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of Variable Priority Training (VPT) on police officers' driving performance and cognitive workload.
• To assess the effectiveness of computer-based training in improving multitasking abilities relevant to law enforcement driving.

Main Methods:

• A driving simulation study involving eighteen police officers.
• Assessment of performance and workload changes across training sessions.
• Evaluation of training transfer from simulation to driving tasks.

Main Results:

• VPT enhanced officers' performance in dual and multi-task simulations.
• The performance improvements from VPT did not consistently transfer to general driving scenarios.
• VPT showed potential for training high-demand situations like pursuit driving with multiple secondary tasks.

Conclusions:

• VPT shows promise for improving police officer performance in complex, high-demand driving situations.
• Training protocols for police officers may benefit from incorporating VPT, especially for pursuit driving.
• Further research is needed to optimize the transfer of simulated training gains to real-world driving.