Distraction and Inattention in Driving

Driver Distraction Distraction occurs when the driver is delayed in the recognition of the information necessary for controlling the vehicle bacuse of internal or external factors When the driving task is not demanding, drivers seek stimulation

Sources of distraction Internal Distraction is caused by directed attention the events or objects in the car E.g., children, radio External Distraction is caused by directed attention the events or objects outside car E.g., Bill boards, pedestrians Inattention Source of distraction is internal to the driver E.g., Daydreaming, non-driving thoughts

Common sources of distraction Use of cell phones has been increasing rapidly among the drivers A great source of distraction for drivers increase crash risk by impairing visual performance increasing lane variability in lane position increasing mental load increasing reaction time decreasing attention to driving Compared to hand-held phones, using hands-free phones does NOT decrease the demand on our limitted attention

Common sources of distraction Music increased tempo of the music leads to faster driving among drivers Roadside signs and billboards Eating and drinking Very common In-vehicle technologies (e.g., navigation systems) Especially the visually-based systems cause the greatest distraction

Moderating factors Whether distraction influence driving performance and safety depends on four main factors (Regan and Hallet, 2011): Driver characteristics (age, gender..) Driving task demand Competing task demand Ability of the driver to self-regulate

Countermeasures for driving distraction and inattention Laws and regulations? Increasing awareness about the problem