This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
The Naturalistic Study of Distracted Driving: Moving from Research to Practice
Journal Article
2011-01-2305
ISSN: 1946-391X, e-ISSN: 1946-3928
Sector:
Citation:
Hanowski, R., "The Naturalistic Study of Distracted Driving: Moving from Research to Practice," SAE Int. J. Commer. Veh. 4(1):286-319, 2011, https://doi.org/10.4271/2011-01-2305.
Language:
English
Abstract:
2011 - 56th L. Ray Buckendale Lecture
Driver distraction has become an important topic in society and
the research community. A telltale sign of how driver distraction
has impacted society is evidenced by the designation of the term
"distracted driving" as Webster's New World® College
Dictionary 2009 Word of the Year. Since the release of a key study
directed at commercial vehicle drivers, there have been two U.S.
Department of Transportation summits to address the topic, in
addition to legislation banning texting-while-driving in commercial
motor vehicles. Given that "driver distraction" is a
construct without a consensus definition, many studies on driver
distraction have focused on its fundamental and theoretical
underpinning, which is a critical first step in understanding the
phenomenon. However, few studies have been conducted to elicit
information that can directly be applied to addressing the driver
distraction problem through system design, education, or policy
recommendations.
The concept of Research-to-Practice (r2p) was first introduced
by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) as an approach to transfer knowledge gained from research
into effective practices. Fundamentally, the r2p philosophy is the
antithesis of "research for research's sake" by
focusing on the pragmatic application of research; that is,
research for the purpose of impacting change. Despite the attention
that driver distraction has garnered, there have been few studies
in this domain that clearly fit the r2p model.
This paper highlights two naturalistic driving studies that fit
the r2p paradigm and provide data that have informed driver
education, shaped U.S. national transportation policy, and are
relevant to system design aimed at reducing driver distraction. It
was noteworthy that some of the findings from these naturalistic
studies are inconsistent with previous research; thus, this paper
provides insight into the potential reasons for these
discrepancies. In addition, the paper outlines a hierarchical model
of research approaches that can facilitate the pragmatic
application of research findings.