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