This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Driver Distraction: Are We Mistaking a Symptom for the Problem?
Technical Paper
2013-01-0439
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
In recent years it seems we have been continuously bombarded by research and popular press articles dealing with the dangers of driver distraction, particularly that resulting from the use of cell phones or other telematic systems while behind the wheel. Based on the volume and vitriolic nature of these articles, one would suppose that the U.S. was undergoing a dramatic increase in the number of accidents on our roadways, largely as a function of operators focusing on these devices, rather than on the road. In reality, the opposite is true.
Fifty years worth of vigilance research suggests that our entire perspective on the “driver distraction” problem may be incorrect. It is possible that we are fixating on the result of a problem, rather than on a problem cause. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that high workload levels negatively affect performance; what is less well-recognized is that too low of a workload level has virtually the same impact. The last fifty years have seen a steady decline in driver task demand through the implementation of a variety of innovations. What if we have decreased it too far? If so, the current “increase” in “driver distraction” may simply indicate that we have reduced the vehicle-related driver workload to such a level that drivers are actively seeking alternative attention-demanding tasks in order to raise themselves back to a more optimal workload level.
Recommended Content
Authors
Citation
Curry, D., Meyer, J., and Jones, A., "Driver Distraction: Are We Mistaking a Symptom for the Problem?," SAE Technical Paper 2013-01-0439, 2013, https://doi.org/10.4271/2013-01-0439.Also In
References
- 1997 An Investigation of the Safety Implications of Wireless Communications in Vehicles Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 1998 Traffic Safety Facts 1997: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Cellular Telephone Industry Association www.ctia.org
- 2010 Traffic Safety Facts 2009 - A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System (Early Edition) Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2009 Traffic Safety Facts Research Note - Driver Electronic Device Use in 2008 Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Klauer , S. G. , Dingus , T. A. , Neale , V. L. , Sudweeks , J. D. , & Ramsey , D. J. 2006 The Impact of Driver Inattention on Near-Crash/Crash Risk: An Analysis Using the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study Data Blacksburg, Virginia Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
- Olson , R. L. , Hanowski , R. J. , Hickman , J. S. , & Bocanegra , J. 2009 Driver Distraction in Commercial Vehicle Operations Blacksburg, VA Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
- Young , R. A. , & Schreiner , C. 2009 Real-World Personal Conversations Using a Hands-Free EmbeddedWireless Device While Driving: Effect on Airbag-Deployment Crash Rates Risk Analysis 29 2
- Klauer , S. G. , Guo , F. , Sudweeks , J. , & Dingus , T. A. 2010 An Analysis of Driver Inattention Using a Case-Crossover Approach 100-Car Data: Final Report Blacksburg, VA Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
- Redelmeier , D. A. , & Tibshirani , R. J. 1997 Association Between Cellular-Telephone Calls and Motor Vehicle Collisions New England Journal of Medicine 336 7 453 458
- Curry , D. G. 2001 In-vehicle cell phones: Fatal Distraction--Yes or No? Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 45th Annual Meeting Minneapolis, MN
- Ascone , D. , & Lindsey , T. 2009 An Examination of Driver Distraction as Recorded in NHTSA Databases Washington, DC NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis
- Sayer , J. R. , Devonshire , J. M. , & Flannagan , C. A. 2005 The Effects of Secondary Tasks on Naturalistic Driving Performance Ann Arbor, Michigan The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
- The distracted driving panic -- of 1930 http://www.nasdaq.com/article/the-distracted-driving-panic-of-1930-cm151350
- Smith , Mark Chalon 2012 The distracted driving panic of 1930 http://www.carinsurance.com/Articles/distracted-driving-radio-ban.aspx?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-130532910
- Trezise , I. , Stoney , E. G. , Bishop , B. , Eren , J. , Harkness , A. , Langdon , C. , & Mulder , T. 2006 Report of the road safety committee on the inquiry into driver distraction Rep. No. 209 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Road Safety Committee, Parliament of Victoria
- Pettitt , M. , Burnett , G. , & Stevens , A. 2005 November 2005 Defining Driver Distraction World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems San Francisco, CA
- Stutts , J. C. , Reinfurt , D. W. , Staplin , L. , & Rodgman , E. A. 2001 The Role of Driver Distraction in Traffic Crashes Chapel Hill, NC University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center
- Hedlund , J. , Simpson , H. , Mayhew , D. 2005 International Conference on Distracting Driving: Summary of Proceedings and Recommendations 2 5 October http://www.distracteddriving.ca/english/presentations.cfm
- Lee , J.D. , Young , K.L. , Regan , M.A. 2008 Defining driver distraction Regan , M.A. , Lee , J.D. , Young , K.L. Driver Distraction: Theory, Effects, and Mitigation CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group Boca Raton, FL, USA 31 40
- Pettitt , M. , Burnett , G. , & Stevens , A. 2005 Defining Driver Distraction World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems San Francisco, CA
- Regan , M. A. , Hallett , C. , & Gordon , C. P. 2011 Driver distraction and driver inattention: Definition, relationship and taxonomy Accid Anal Prev 43 1771 1781
- Kane , M. J. , Brown , L. H. , McVay , J. C. , Silvia , P. J. , Myin-Germeys , I. , & Kwapil , T. R. 2007 For Whom the Mind Wanders, and When: An Experience-Sampling Study of Working Memory and Executive Control in Daily Life Psychological Science 18 7 614 621
- Kane , M. J. , Brown , L. H. , McVay , J. C. , Silvia , P. J. , Myin-Germeys , I. , & Kwapil , T. R. 2007 For Whom the Mind Wanders, and When: An Experience-Sampling Study of Working Memory and Executive Control in Daily Life Psychological Science 18 7 614 621
- Hebb , D. O. 1955 Drives and the C.N.S. (Conceptual Nervous System) Psychological Review 62 243 254
- Heron , W. 1957 The pathology of boredom Scientific American 196 52 56
- Mollard , R. , Coblentz , A. , & Cabon , P. 1990 Vigilance in Transport Operations: Field Studies in Air Transport and Railways Human Factors Society 34th Annual Meeting
- Wiener , E. L. , & Curry , R. E. 1980 Flight-Deck Automation: Promises and Problems
- Sayer , J. R. , Devonshire , J. M. , & Flannagan , C. A. 2005 The Effects of Secondary Tasks on Naturalistic Driving Performance Ann Arbor, Michigan The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
- Harbluk , J. L. , Noy , Y. I. , & Eizenman , M. 2002 The Impact of Cognitive Distraction on Driver Visual Behaviour and Vehicle Control Transport Canada
- Yerkes , R. M. , & Dodson , J. D. 1908 The Relationship of Strength of Stimulus to Rapidity of Habit-Formation Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology 18 459 482
- Stutts , J. , Feaganes , J. , Reinfurt , D. , Rodgman , E. , Hamlett , C. , Gish , K. et al. 2005 Driver's exposure to distractions in their natural driving environment Accident Analysis and Prevention 37 1093 1101
- Cox , D. J. , Punja , M. , Powers , K. , Merkel , R. L. , Burket , R. , Moore , M. et al. 2006 Manual Transmission Enhances Attention and Driving Performance of ADHD Adolescent Males: Pilot Study Journal of Attention Disorders 10 2 212 216
- 1999 Traffic Safety Facts 1998: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2000 Traffic Safety Facts 1999: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2001 Traffic Safety Facts 2000: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2002 Traffic Safety Facts 2001: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2004 Traffic Safety Facts 2002: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2004 Traffic Safety Facts 2003: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2005 Traffic Safety Facts 2004: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2006 Traffic Safety Facts 2005: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2008 Traffic Safety Facts 2006: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2008 Traffic Safety Facts 2007 - A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 2009 Traffic Safety Facts 2008 - A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System Washington, DC National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Wickens , C. D. , & Hollands , J. G. 2000 Engineering Psychology and Human Performance 3rd Edition Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall