AU2010241314A1 - Driver evaluation system - Google Patents

Description

Australia Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION DRIVER EVALUATION SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 DRIVER EVALUATION SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 The present invention relates to a system for evaluating drivers of vehicles. More particularly but not exclusively the present invention relates to a system for evaluating the performance of driver in relation to fuel efficiency and reaction times. 10 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION There are many prior art methods for testing the reaction abilities of a driver of a vehicle, such as described in the patent document DE102008004908 detailing a 15 method for determining the reaction of a driver to a signal. A system for evaluating the efficiency of driving is described in the patent document US 6,092,021, which takes into account acceleration, vehicle speed, revolution rate, braking and rapid accelerator movements. 20 There is a need in the art for a system and method that can be used to evaluate the performance of a driver in regard to both reaction times and fuel efficiency, particularly in a controlled way that can provide a useful measure of performance. 25 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a system for evaluating aspects of a 30 vehicle driver's performance and/or to at least provide the public with a useful choice. 2 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the invention broadly consists in a system for evaluating a driver 5 of a vehicle, the system comprising: an interface means for control of the system; at least one sensor in said vehicle, wherein said at least one sensor 10 provides data relating to the driver's control of said vehicle to said interface device; wherein said interface means utilises a processing means for interpreting said sensor data to provide a performance evaluation of said driver. 15 Preferably the system further includes a means for providing a stimulus to the driver, and means for determining a measure of said driver's reaction to said stimulus. 20 Preferably said sensor data is collected during said driver's control of said vehicle over a pre-determined course. Preferably said performance evaluation is performed on data collected during more than one completion of said pre-determined course. 25 Preferably the performance evaluation includes a measure of said driver's reaction. Preferably the performance evaluation includes a measure of average fuel 30 consumption. Preferably the performance evaluation includes a measure of said driver's reaction and a measure of average fuel consumption. 35 In another aspect the invention broadly consists in a method of evaluating the performance of a driver, the method comprising: 3 determining a first measure of performance by monitoring the fuel consumption of a vehicle when driven by said driver over a pre determined course; 5 determining a second measure of performance by monitoring said driver's reaction time to a visual stimulus; deriving a performance evaluation from the first and second measures of performance. 10 Preferably said performance evaluation is derived from data collected during more than one completion of said pre-determined course. Preferably said driver completes said pre-determined course a first instance and 15 a second instance, wherein to differences in said driver's performance measures between first instance and second instance are included in the derivation of said performance evaluation. Preferably training is provided to said driver after said first instance and before 20 said second instance. Preferably said driver's use of the accelerator and/or brake pedals are included in the derivation of the performance evaluation. 25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Preferred forms of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figure in which: 30 Figure 1 shows a diagram of the components of an embodiment of the invention. 4 DETAILED DESCRIPTION In a preferred embodiment the invention generally consists in a system for evaluating a driver of a vehicle. 5 In a preferred aspect of the invention the driver evaluation system is part of an education or training system. This education system incorporates the elements of the driver testing system in format that can be used for educational purposes. Sensors in a vehicle determine the interaction between the driver and the 10 vehicle. Preferably the sensors provide data relating to driving tests performed by the driver. The data obtained from the sensors is transmitted to a central server that can record and analyse aspects of the driver's performance. The analysis of the results can be used to educate or train the driver, to enable improvement in various aspects of driving, such as reaction time and fuel 15 efficiency. Preferably the data or results recorded by the system are made available for remote access, such as by a website. This provides ready access to the results or data for the driver. Such access can also be accompanied by further educational or training material for use by the driver. 20 The system comprises a user interface device for interaction and control of the system. The system may include more than one user interface device. A user interface device may be of any suitable form. Preferably a suitable user interface is designed for use within the vehicle being driven, and may be for use by the driver being tested or more preferably by another person in the vehicle. When 25 positioned in the vehicle, the user interface device may be integrated with the vehicle, or may be attached to any of the vehicle components, or otherwise located in the vehicle. In one instance, the user interface device may be integrated in the steering 30 wheel and/or dashboard of the vehicle in the form of user controls such as press buttons, a keypad, voice recognition or a touch sensitive interface. In another instance the user interface may be in the form of a hand-held device for use by an operator or instructor for the driver. In another instance the user interface may be a control device, such as a computer device located outside the vehicle 35 at a base station location. 5 A preferred interface device includes a main display, such as a LCD display, for indicating the progress and outcome of driver reaction tests. An input means is included in the interface device, such as push buttons or keys, for initiating the reaction test operation and for selecting modes of operation. A preferred input 5 means is a touch screen surface. The device includes a connection to at least one indicator. The at least one indicator is preferably a visual indicator that can provide a signal to the vehicle driver. The connection to the indicator may be a physical electrical connection, or connection may be provided by wireless communication. The interface device may be battery powered, and/or be 10 powered by a connection to the vehicle. The system includes the use of data relating to the vehicle from at least one sensor. The system more particularly uses data relating to the driving of the vehicle. Preferably the system uses data from sensors that detect when the 15 driver interacts with the controls of the vehicle. More preferably the sensors detect the driver's interaction with the control pedals of the vehicle, such as the brake pedal, accelerator pedal and clutch pedal. Preferably the system uses the sensors to detect when one or more of the control pedals are pressed down by the driver. Preferably the sensors measure how far the pedals are pressed, and 20 the speed or hardest of the pedals presses. Many different sensing systems are appropriate for this function, as would be known to a skilled person in the art. Sensors used by the system may be integrated with the vehicle, or may be attached to components of the vehicle, or otherwise located in the vehicle. Preferred sensor data is the data provided by the vehicle on-board diagnostic 25 (OBD) system. Data relating to driving of the vehicle is processed by an electronic processing means, such as a microprocessor, personal computer, or any other such suitable means. The processing means may be located within the vehicle, such 30 as integrated within the vehicle, within the interface device, or within another component of the system located within the vehicle; or the processing means may be located outside of the vehicle. The data provided by the at least one sensor may be communicated to the processing means by any suitable methods. Such methods may vary depending on the location of the processing 35 means relative to the at least one sensor. For instance, a communication cable may be suitable for communicating within a vehicle, and a wireless communication system may be suitable for providing data to outside the vehicle. 6 A wireless transmission system may be capable of short range communication if the processing means is located within the vehicle, or longer range for communicating with a processing means located outside the vehicle. In one 5 embodiment, a short range wireless communication system is used to transmit the data provided by the at least one sensor to a communication relay within the vehicle, which communicates wirelessly with a processing means located out of the vehicle using a longer range communication system. 10 The processing means can be used to interpret the data provided by the sensors to evaluate aspects of the driver's interaction with the vehicle. Preferably the processing means interprets the sensor data in a method for monitoring the performance of a driver of a vehicle. Preferably sensors provide data relating to the driver interaction with the controls of the vehicle. Preferably 15 data relating to the driver's interaction with the steering wheel, brake, accelerator and clutch pedals is interpreted by the processor. More preferably the data from the use of the control pedals is used to estimate the performance of the driver in relation to braking and/or accelerating, without necessarily requiring data relating to the speed of the vehicle. 20 Calibration information may need to be provided to the system for a proper interpretation of the sensor data to be performed. Preferably a calibration is performed so that an analysis of the sensor data relating to the driver's use of the vehicle controls can be used to determine if the driver is using the controls 25 effectively and/or efficiently. A measure of effectiveness and/or efficiency of a driver can be estimated by the driver's use of the brake and/or accelerator. For example, more frequent use of the brake when not necessary can be less fuel efficient. In another example, 30 pressing on the accelerator too quickly or harshly is less efficient than a soft or slow accelerator press. Rapid and unnecessary rise in engine revolutions is less fuel efficient, as is rapid acceleration of the vehicle in general. The fuel usage of the vehicle can also be measured directly, but such a measure alone does not indicate the possible causes of any inefficient driving. There may also be a 35 correlation between inefficient driving and unsafe driving. Using these testing techniques, a driver's performance can be evaluated in various ways, such as comparison to an ideal or more desirable driving technique, or the pedal presses 7 can be evaluated individually and compared to an ideal or more desirable intensity. During a driver evaluation procedure, whenever the driver presses the brake or 5 accelerator the sensors associated with the brake and accelerator pedals send a signal to the interface device, which can record the number and type of pedal presses. The number of presses may be recorded as a total sum of accelerator and brake presses, or the accelerator and brake press totals may be recorded separately. The display on the interface device may display the total of 10 accelerator and brake presses, or it may show the accelerator and brake press totals separately, either at the same time or the display may alternate between the two totals. Preferably the system uses the sensor data to determine the speed at which the pedal is pressed, allowing the system to distinguish between hard pedal presses and soft pedal presses. 15 The data relating to how hard or fast the driver presses the pedals in conjunction with how far the pedals are pressed in can be used in an evaluation of the driver's performance. For example, pressing on the brake pedal too softly may result in the vehicle decreasing speed too slowly. If the vehicle takes too long to 20 slow down, the stopping distance may be greater than what would be necessary to avoid an accident. If the driver presses down on the brake pedal too harshly the wheels may lock up and skid, which also would increase the stopping distance. The accelerator pedal data in particular can be used to rate the fuel efficiency of the driving. Rapid acceleration of the vehicle is generally less fuel 25 efficient than slower, smother acceleration. The driver evaluation system includes means for testing the reaction time of a driver. Preferably the reaction timer is initiated by a driving instructor while the vehicle is being driven by the driver being evaluated. When the reaction timer 30 procedure is initiated, an indicator will provide a signal to the vehicle driver to indicate that the vehicle brakes should be applied. The indicator may be any means that is capable of signalling to the driver, such as a light emitting device. A preferred indicator is an LED light mounted above the dashboard of the vehicle. There may be multiple indicators, which may be different types, 35 provided in different locations of the vehicle. More than one indicator is preferable to provide a more challenging test for the driver, as it prevents the 8 driver from concentrating on a single location in anticipation of the signal. Also, the driver may not be aware of all the locations of the indicators in the vehicle. When the reaction timer procedure is initiated, the indicator may signal to the 5 vehicle driver immediately, after a pre-determined delay, or at a random time preferably within a pre-determined period. By having a timer delay, preferably a random delay, or delay of a time unknown to the driver, the driver is not able to anticipate the signal from the indicator from the actions of the system operator. The timer is started in the interface device when the indicator provides a signal 10 to the driver. When the sensors detects that the brakes have been applied, the timer in the interface device is stopped. The reaction time (the time between the indicator signal and the driver applying the brakes) may then be displayed on the interface device. Other information may be shown on the display, such as the stopping distance. 15 Preferably separate calibrations are performed for different vehicles, and any interpretation of sensor data provided takes into account the performance and/or characteristics of different vehicles. Different vehicles may be different individual vehicles, or different make or model vehicles. The calibration can be performed 20 so as to adjust the output of the at least one sensor, or the calibration can be performed so that calibration data is stored for providing an interpretation of the sensor data. The calibration may be stored in the at least one sensor, the user interface means, the processor, or any other suitable component or storage means. Calibration data for individual vehicles, or make or model of vehicles 25 may also be archived in a database for use by the particular testing system that was used to calibrate the vehicle, or for use by any other testing system. This calibration data can be used to avoid the calibration process for individual vehicles, or make or model of vehicle that has already been calibrated. 30 Preferably the interpretation of the sensor data may be adjusted to take into account external factors and/or other extenuating factors that may have an effect on desired driving technique. Examples of such factors include the type, model and condition of the vehicle; the driving conditions, such as environmental conditions, road conditions and traffic conditions; and skill level of the driver. The 35 interpretation of the sensor data may therefore take into account the driver's performance with due regard to actual driving conditions, and provide a more realistic or reasonable evaluation. For example, driving to optimal fuel efficiency 9 may not be practical in certain vehicles or driving conditions, or may be too taxing for particular drivers. Accordingly a compromise may be sought between optimal performance in efficiency, and practical considerations relating to the other factors. This provides the system with greater usefulness in testing drivers 5 when the results can be related to real world driving conditions. Preferably the processing of the data provides performance metrics relating to the performance of a driver being tested. Examples of performance metrics include reaction times, fuel efficiency, and driving safety. Preferably the metrics 10 may be further refined to provide more precise information regarding different aspects of the driver's performance. For example, a driver may be found to have good fuel efficiency in some circumstances, such as city driving, but not rural driving. The performance metrics may relate to only a single driver or to a plurality of drivers. 15 The performance metrics may also be related to the different vehicles driven by the drivers. This may provide a measure of performances in different vehicles by the same or different drivers. Preferably the performance metrics relate to an associated group of drivers, such as a group of employees. As an example, the 20 system can provide an employer with a performance measure of fuel efficiency of all employees, and demonstrate or measure improvements in efficiency, and/or costs following training or improvements in fuel efficient driving techniques. 25 Preferably a central server stores the received data in a database. The database may be a local or may be accessible from a remote location, such as over a network or the internet. The stored data may be used to provide statistical analysis of the performance of the drivers, either immediately or at a later time. Examples of databases include a personal computer, a server, and a remote 30 database server. Preferably the central server provides information to a display system. Preferably the display system displays information relating to a driver's interaction with a vehicle. More preferably the display system displays 35 information relating to a plurality of drivers with relative performance metrics for each of the drivers. 10 Example 1: Referring to Figure 1, an example of a preferred embodiment is shown diagrammatically. The preferred embodiment is an example of the inventor's 5 Electronic Performance Monitor (EPM) technology. A user interface device 101 provides the user with control over the system when in the vehicle, and includes a processing means. Ideally the user of the interface device is a trained operator, in particular a driving instructor with further training on using the present system. A preferred device is a tablet computer with a touch-screen 10 surface. A general purpose tablet computer can be arranged as part of the system by running appropriate software that provides the necessary functions. Such software is straightforward to implement and would be understood by a person skilled in the art. 15 The interface device connects to an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) reader 102 to obtain information from the vehicle sensors 103. The OBD connection in a vehicle allows external devices to obtain diagnostic data from the vehicles internal monitoring system. The OBD || specification provides a standardised physical connection and many standard PIDs (parameter identification numbers) 20 that are used to access the data provided by the OBD system. However, different vehicle manufacturers still use varying PIDs and communication protocols. Accordingly, the OBD reader used in a vehicle needs to be appropriate for the particular implementation of the OBD system for that vehicle, as would be known to a skilled person in the art. The OBD reader connects to 25 the user interface via a standard USB cable. Other connection means may be used, depending on what is available and convenient. OBD readers may use wireless communication, such as WiFi or Bluetooth to connect to a personal computer or other device. The OBD reader connects into the OBD system of the vehicle, and functions as a data relay by retrieving information from the OBD 30 system in response to requests from the interface device. Software is installed on the interface device to provide access to its features and facilitate control of its functions. The main mode of operation for the interface device software is a driver evaluation mode. In this mode characteristics of a 35 driver's interaction with the vehicle are measured as the vehicle is driven around a set course. In particular the driver's use of the brake and throttle are 11 determined, along with the average engine RPM (revolutions per minute) and fuel efficiency. In a typical evaluation session, a driver will be tested operating the vehicle over 5 a pre-determined course. During the evaluation the interface device records the vehicle speed, use of the accelerator, engine RPM (revolutions per minute) and fuel consumption data. To obtain the data, software on the interface device sends requests for the data to the OBD reader several times per second. The OBD reader queries the vehicle OBD system using the appropriate PIDs, and 10 communicates the data sent in response to the queries to the interface device. The data received by the interface device is stored in an on-board database. The data received by the interface device generally requires further conversion by the interface software to provide a value representative of the parameter it 15 represents. The conversion differs depending on the parameter and may be different for different vehicles. The vehicle speed and engine RPM can usually be obtained directly from OBD system, while fuel consumption rate can be obtained directly only if the particular 20 vehicle OBD provides it. If the fuel consumption rate PID is not supported, a fuel consumption rate can be determined indirectly using data from other available PIDs. The driver's interaction with the accelerator pedal can be determined from the OBD system by querying the PIDs that relate to the accelerator position. A count of accelerator uses can be based on changes in the accelerator position. 25 To begin the driver evaluation period, the driving instructor operating the interface device starts the evaluation phase of the interface device software. This can be when the vehicle is already moving, or from a standing start depending on how the driving instructor has designed the evaluation. The 30 interface device collects the data relating to the driver's operation of the vehicle over the course of the evaluation. At a time during the evaluation period, the driving instructor activates a visual stimulus device 104 that provides an indication to the driver to perform an 35 emergency stop. The driving instructor uses a wireless remote control device, in particular a Bluetooth wireless device, to send an activation signal to the interface device. The remote control device allows the driving instructor to 12 activate the visual stimulus surreptitiously, so that the driver is not able to anticipate its activation. The software on the interface device receives the signal from the remote control 5 and activates the visual stimulus device, which is connected to the interface device via a USB connection. The visual stimulus device comprises an array of high-powered LEDs (light emitting diodes) that are attached to the inside of the windscreen in an area that can be seen by the driver. The time taken by the driver to react to the visual stimulus is recorded by the interface device. A rapid 10 decrease in the vehicles speed can be monitored via the OBD system, and indicates that the driver is responding to the visual stimulus. Along with the driver's reaction time, the stopping distance is also recorded, as determined by the OBD data. 15 The data received by the interface device is stored in a local database for immediate use by the interface device software. The data is also communicated to a central server 105 which stores the data in a server database 106. The data is communicated from the interface device to the server using a local wireless network. 20 After the driver has completed the pre-determined course, the driving instructor informs the interface device software that the first stage of driving is completed. The driving instructor can review the data collected on the interface with the driver, and provide training that can improve the driver's fuel efficiency and/or 25 safety. Following the training session, the driver then drives the evaluation course again, preferably with the aim of applying the driving techniques taught in the training session. The driving instructor begins the second course by selecting the post-training option on the interface device and commencing the start of data acquisition. The interface device records the vehicle data in the 30 same manner as when the course was driven the first time. After the course has been completed a second time, including an emergency stop in response to a visual stimulus, a comparison can be made to determine if any changes or improvements occurred following the training session. 35 13 > 0 r-. U~ N~ N - N~ N~ N~ N\ (D MO (0 (0 (D0(0(0(00O r- C0 r U) *(D CO - O C: : M) ';t QO (0 ) M ( r L tN CO ILO r, LO (01 C61 (N (N~ ~ MC r- 10 (N (N 9-~ - I

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10 >~ - ;t C') 00 rl at ( M N (N M- M) C (0D 1 .2 (D CD - (N rl- (0 ~-~ N (0 M~ N- M~ M- a (N (0 LO 1 15 _ 04U (N C CD CD C O c - ma ) (N CD CD r- 1010) N a) rN 04 04 C- CI) 0N - (N (N (N (N (N N C) (N (N (N N CY) C-4 0.0 ou E Lq (P (0 CO P 0 0 C (N - 10 0 00 (N C O *-: 10 r* o ~C CDN C CD (N (N (N (N CD (N (N (N (N (N CD (N (ND ( CD ) U- uE L m~C , t co c (D w~ CO m~ ;t 10 U) co N) (.N a CO 10 r- (N CO 0 .. D 10 CO CO N )N N CO a) (N N C N cq q CO c q a) co 0. 00 (o co) o 00 N C O ;t N ) co 10 r 0 (0 C N CO 0a 14 The driving evaluation results from a group of 19 participants are shown in Table 1. The table displays the reaction times and stopping distances in response to a visual stimulus on a first lap of a course, and the subsequent times and distances for a second lap of the same course. The average fuel consumption 5 level in litres per 100 km is provided for the first lap, which takes place before a training session, and the fuel consumption for the second lap is after a training session has taken place. A comparison of the fuel consumption levels is provided as a fuel saving percentage, which is a positive number if the post training fuel consumption level is lower than the first pre-training lap, and a 10 negative number if the post-training fuel consumption level is higher than the pre-training consumption level. The 'Driver Score' column in Table 1, provides an empirical evaluation of the driving performance of each driver. The 'Driver Score' is determined from two 15 components; a driver reaction time score, and a fuel saving score. A score of 1 is the highest and a score of 10 is the lowest possible. The driver reaction time score is calculated using the correlation chart of Table 2. An average reaction time from the driver's two laps is assigned a score corresponding to the reaction time range shown in the chart. 20 Table 2: driver reaction time score Reaction time range (seconds) Greater than: Less than or Score equal to: 0 0.3 1 0.3 0.6 2 0.6 0.9 3 0.9 1.2 4 1.2 1.5 5 1.5 1.8 6 1.8 2.1 7 2.1 2.4 8 2.4 2.7 9 2.7 10 15 The fuel saving score is calculated using the correlation chart of Table 3. A fuel saving percentage is assigned a score corresponding to the fuel saving range shown in the chart. 5 Table 3: fuel saving score Fuel saving range (percentage) Greater than: Less than or Score equal to: 45 1 40 45 2 35 40 3 30 35 4 25 30 5 20 25 6 15 20 7 10 15 8 5 10 9 5 10 The 'Driver Score' is subsequently calculated as an average of the reaction time score and the fuel saving score. For instance, if a driver achieved an average 10 reaction time of 2 seconds and a fuel saving comparison of 42%, the corresponding reaction time score is 7, and the corresponding fuel saving score is 2. The Driver Score is the average of these the two scores rounded to the nearest whole number, which is this case is a Driver Score of 5. 15 The aforesaid calculation of 'Driver Score' is by way of example only, as it is envisaged that the present invention encompasses many different methods of evaluating a driver's performance. If a driver performs particularly poorly, either the driver or the driver's employee 20 or manager may be notified so that remedial training is recommended for the driver. 16 A lap time mode may also be activated on the interface device, which records the time around a pre-determined course. Data relating to the driver's interaction with vehicle is not necessarily recorded, as the lap-time mode is generally just for entertainment purposes, rather than as part of driver evaluation and training. 5 A visual display 107 can be used to show a 'Leaderboard' of the lap times of the drivers. The lap-time data for the visual display is provided from the central server. The data received by the interface device is stored in an on-board database, 10 and is also sent to a central server for storage. The interface device and the central server communicate over a wireless network. The central server provides a user with means for inputting information regarding drivers and other associated information. Typically a driver being evaluated will be part of a group of drivers, in particular a group of drivers associated with a particular business 15 that has arranged for its employees driving abilities to be evaluated. The central server allows driving sessions to be established that define a group of drivers as being associated with a business. A business can have multiple driving sessions associated with it, while a particular driving session can only be associated with one business. Likewise an individual driver can be associated with multiple 20 sessions, but can only be associated with one business. The grouping of drivers as part of businesses provides the businesses with means for analysing any potential overall improvement in fuel efficiency and driving safety of all of its employees. This may be important to businesses that 25 require employees to drive as part of there employment, and if the business is responsible for fuel costs. A rating of a driver or group of drivers may be used by the business for insurance purposes. Any reduction in fuel consumption shown by a driver following the training in 30 more efficient driving techniques can be calculated as a cost saving amount based on the typical driving habits of the driver. This cost saving amount can also be calculated for a group of drivers to demonstrate potential savings for an employer of the drivers. Total C02 emissions and potential reductions can also be calculated in known ways based on the driving habits and vehicles used by 35 the drivers. 17 The data collected by the sensors and the performance evaluation of the drivers is made available for access on a website 108. The access to particular data can be restricted so that an individual driver can view their own performance evaluation, but not the evaluations of other drivers. A business may have access 5 to the performance evaluations of all their employees. The data is stored in the groups and sessions that were created for the evaluation purposes. 18

Claims (11)

1. A system for evaluating a driver of a vehicle, the system comprising: 5 an interface means for control of the system; at least one sensor in said vehicle, wherein said at least one sensor provides data relating to the driver's control of said vehicle to said interface device; 10 wherein said interface means utilises a processing means for interpreting said sensor data to provide a performance evaluation of said driver.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further including a means for providing a 15 stimulus to the driver, and means for determining a measure of said driver's reaction to said stimulus.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said sensor data is collected during said driver's control of said vehicle over a pre-determined course. 20

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said performance evaluation is performed on data collected during more than one completion of said pre determined course. 25

5. The system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the performance evaluation includes a measure of said driver's reaction.

6. The system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the performance evaluation includes a measure of average fuel consumption. 30

7. The system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the performance evaluation includes a measure of said driver's reaction and a measure of average fuel consumption. 35 19

8. A method of evaluating the performance of a driver, the method comprising: determining a first measure of performance by monitoring the fuel consumption of a vehicle when driven by said driver over a pre 5 determined course; determining a second measure of performance by monitoring said driver's reaction time to a visual stimulus; 10 deriving a performance evaluation from the first and second measures of performance.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said performance evaluation is derived from data collected during more than one completion of said pre 15 determined course.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said driver completes said pre determined course a first instance and a second instance, wherein to differences in said driver's performance measures between first instance 20 and second instance are included in the derivation of said performance evaluation.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein training is provided to said driver after said first instance and before said second instance. 20