Euro Truck Simulator 2 is so realistic it's been used in a driver fatigue experiment

As the purveyor of ultimate dad games SCS Software explains on its blog, Euro Truck Simulator 2 isn’t just a fun exploration of the contrast between chill highway cruising and nightmarish reverse-parking situations. It’s also science.

A researcher at Liberec Technical University’s Faculty of Textiles in Czechia called Mr Martinka has been using Euro Truck Simulator 2 to simulate driving while fatigued without endangering anyone. “ETS2 was the simplest and the most practical solution because it mirrors real driving conditions. The game allowed us to simulate fatigue safely. We needed a reliable platform to simulate long hours of driving, and the game provided exactly that,” Martinka said.

Martinka’s study put test subjects in a car seat with a steering wheel, sat in front of Euro Truck Simulator 2 for up to seven hours at a stretch. Which sounds like how I spent my weekends in 2014. “We drove continuously, replicating fatigue-inducing conditions until we were genuinely exhausted and wanted to sleep,” Martinka said.

The point of this study was to develop a better way of detecting the exact moment when drivers enter microsleep. Martinka’s solution, a “smart T-Shirt,” keeps track of the wearer’s breathing patterns. “While modern cars often feature fatigue sensors,” Martinka explained, “they are not always accurate. Our smart T-Shirt, on the other hand, provides a more reliable solution. The sensors in the T-Shirt are nearly invisible, washable, and far more precise in detecting fatigue than standard car systems”.

A follow-up study is planned for later this year in Japan, again making use of Euro Truck Simulator 2.

While SCS Software followed its unlikely truck-driving hit with American Truck Simulator in 2016, it’s continued supporting Euro with cosmetics like the recent Greek Mythology Pack, which lets you spray Medusa or the pegasus on the side of your truck. No Hypnos, god of sleep, though. Stop, revive, survive!