Human factors represent a critical component of road safety, influencing the way drivers perceive, interpret, and react to events encountered during vehicle operation. The growing use of driving simulators in behavioral research has created new opportunities for studying driver performance under controlled and repeatable conditions. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review of current research investigating the influence of human factors on driver behavior in both real and simulated driving environments.

The review synthesizes recent scientific findings related to driver distraction, fatigue, stress, cognitive workload, physiological monitoring, reaction time, and driver behavior assessment, while also examining the advantages and limitations of the principal research methodologies used in this field, including real-world driving, driving simulators, naturalistic driving studies, and multimodal monitoring techniques. Furthermore, the paper discusses current research trends, existing knowledge gaps, and the role of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in supporting safer driving.

By integrating the existing scientific evidence, this review provides the theoretical foundation for a future comparative experimental investigation of driver reaction times and physiological responses to visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli in both real and simulated driving environments. The findings contribute to a better understanding of driver behavior and support the development of more effective road safety strategies, driver training programs, and intelligent transportation systems aimed at reducing the impact of human error in traffic.