Ergonomic assessment of clutch pedal in some commonmodels of vehiclesin taxi routes in Tehran

Clutch pedal is one of the most important control systems of automobile. As a foot controller due to the location and mechanisms of action, in case of improper design pedal clutch can reduce driver fatigue, as well as the comfort and safety of the vehicle. In the present research, clutch comfort of some common models of vehicles in taxi routes in Tehran were investigated from the viewpoint of ergonomics.
In this cross-sectional and practical study, 120 drivers of taxi routes in Tehran were selected by stratified random sampling. Both objective (pressure-release force, frequency and duration of clutching) and subjective (specialized questionnaires) were used in order to assess fatigue and clutch comfort. Regarding objective assessments, the pressure-release force was measured using piezoelectric pressure dynamometer, and frequency and duration of clutching was estimated by means of a micro-switch named Data Logger.
Significant differences were observed in percieved discomfort in all bady parts involved in clutching, after the working shift. The highest discomfort belonged to back (3.97) and Knee (3.86) while the lowest value wer for upper thigh (1.45) and upper leg (1.98). Furthermore, drivers of Peykan and Roa automobiles reported the highest discomfort. Regarding the force and frequency of clutching, the hghest value was belonged to Peykan.
According the the results, long-term use of the clutch pedal in all studied models of automobiles causes significant discomfort after the working shift. It is suggested that automobiles in Tehran taxi routes replace with the automatic gear ones and the Paykan and Roa, which showed the reatest discomfort) with other models.