A new road rage simulator has been developed by psychologists and interactive game developers at Australia’s University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) to help increase the driver safety.

The simulator is designed to offer an interactive experience that evaluates drivers in frustrating driving conditions while measuring stress indicators, such as heartbeat and blood pressure, ABC reported.

In particular, the simulator is said to keep drivers calm and safe by enabling them to interact with each other from their vehicles. For example, the scientists are hoping to study road range and stress by putting three drivers in a stressful merging situation together, wherein they are likely to see and hear the responses of the others.

"We want to understand what drivers are finding stressful on the road and what’s not stressful and how that’s actually affecting their health."

USC psychologist Dr Bridie Scott-Parker said researchers were hoping to achieve an array of outcomes.

"We want to understand what drivers are finding stressful on the road and what’s not stressful and how that’s actually affecting their health.

"We can measure things like blood pressure and heart rate and stress in your saliva, but we also want to improve road safety, so it’s a multifaceted project."

The project is being funded by the state’s peak motoring body, Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited (RACQ).

RACQ advocacy head Paul Turner told the news agency that aim was to boost driver health and safety.

Turner said: "Discourtesy on our roads, aggression, or even just distracted driving or oblivious driving all add to the stress of a trip, and what we want to do is de-stress the drive and make it safer and better for all of us."