Driver Distraction

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Distraction StudyPhases I and II
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Published May 2001 Prepared by UNC-CH Highway
Safety Research Center
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Managing Driver Distraction

• Why Dont We All Keep Our Eyes on the Road and
  Our Minds on Driving?

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Types of Distraction

• Visual
• Auditory
• Physical
• Cognitive

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What Do We Mean by Driver Distraction?

• Distraction happens when a driver is slow to
  recognize a potential hazard because something
  inside or outside the vehicle draws the drivers
  attention away from the road.

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How Do Distractions Affect Driving Ability?

• Drivers react more slowly
• Drivers often fail to recognize potential hazards
• Drivers reduce their margin of safety

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Magnitude of The Problem

• Research suggests 25 of crashes are
  distraction-related
• Social and economic costs for these crashes
  approach an estimated 40 billion annually

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AAA Foundation Began a Two-Part Study in 1999
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Overall Study Goal

• To identify, using both crash and field data,
  the major sources of driver distraction that
  result in crashes and near misses, and to
  understand the relative importance of these
  distracters.

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Project Tasks

• Analysis of 1995-1999 CDS crash data
• Analysis of narrative data from the CDS and North
  Carolina crash reports
• Collection and analysis of real-world driving
  data to determine the frequency and severity of
  driving distractions

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Part I Examining Crash Data
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Mining Existing Data

• Analysis of 1995-1999 crash data
• Analysis of crash reports

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National Accident Sampling SystemCrashworthiness
Data System

• Annual probability sample of 5,000
  police-reported crashes
• Based on passenger vehicles towed from the scene
  or with airbag deployed
• Professional crash investigators examine
  vehicles, drivers, witnesses

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Some Examples From Police Crash Reports

• Driver stated he was on his cell phone and
  writing down some notes. Due to this he never
  saw the red light which he ran causing the
  collision.
• Driver states she reached down in the floor of
  her vehicle to pick up the CD player and when she
  looked up everyone was stopped.

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More Examples From Police Crash Reports. . . .

• Vehicle 1 was stopped. Driver took his foot off
  the brake to light a cigarette and struck Vehicle
  2 in the rear.
• Vehicle 1 had a drink which started to spill so
  the driver tried to grab the drink, causing her
  to turn off the road to the right and strike a
  fire hydrant.
• Driver of Vehicle 3 had taken his attention from
  traffic ahead to obtain a map out of his glove
  box. He did not observe traffic slowing and this
  caused (the accident).

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Driver Attention Status of Crash-involved
Vehicles
Weighted 1995-1999 CDS Data
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Percent of Drivers in Crashes Who are Distracted
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What Distracts Drivers?
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Nature of Distraction By Age of Driver
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Phase I Conclusions

• Old and new sources of driver distraction
• Difficulty collecting good data - potential
  reporting biases
• Need for further research
• Laboratory, crash, and observation studies
• How common are various distractions
• Increase public education (include novice
  drivers)
• Role of legislation is still being debated

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Part II In-Vehicle Observation Data
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Phase II - On-road driving data

• Installed video recording equipment in cars of
  volunteer subjects
• 2 sites - North Carolina, Pennsylvania
• 70 subjects total
• 5 age categories, equal male female
• Coded 3 hours from 1 week of data per subject,
  using VideoPro software

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Research Questions

• How often drivers engage in behaviors that might
  be distracting
• Under what conditions drivers engage in such
  behaviors
• Differences among drivers by age and gender
• Relative severity of consequences of these
  behaviors

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Camera
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Camera Unit
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Recording unit
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Coding Video Data
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Taxonomy of Driver Distractions

• Cell phone / pager
• Eating / drinking
• Radio / tape / CD
• Smoking
• Other occupants

• Reading
• Grooming
• External events
• Internal events

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Contextual Variables

• Occupants in vehicle (number, age)
• Light conditions (light, gray, dark)
• Weather conditions (good, bad)
• Travel lanes
• Traffic level (light, moderate, heavy)
• Intersection
• Vehicle movement (stopped, moving)
• Vehicle turning

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Outcome Measures

• Hands on steering wheel
• Eyes on roadway/driving task
• Vehicle position in travel lane
• Sudden braking

. . . But no measure of cognitive demand
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VideoPro Coding
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Sample Coding Output
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Frequencies of Distractions While Driving
of Subjects
of Total Driving Time

• Using cell phone
• Eating/drinking/preparing
• Manipulating radio, etc.
• Reading
• Grooming
• Smoking
• Other occupant
• Conversing
• Internal distraction
• External distraction

• 34.3
• 71.4
• 91.4
• 40.0
• 45.7
• 7.1
• 38.0
• 77.1
• 100.0
• 85.7

1.3 4.6 1.4 0.7 0.3 1.6 0.9 15.3 3.8 1.6
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of Subjects Affected by a Potential Distraction
When Vehicle Was Moving
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of Total Time While Driving Engaged in a
Potentially Distracting Activity
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Cell Phone Use
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of Time Vehicle Stopped When Using Cell Phone
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Cell Phone Use Effects on Driving Performance



p lt .05 p lt .01
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Eating and Drinking Effectson Driving Performance




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Music/Audio Effects on Driving Performance


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Other Occupant Effects on Driving Performance
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Smoking Effects onDriving Performance


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Conclusions

• Need to learn how to safely manage everyday
  distractions before introducing new technologies
  into our vehicles
• There are many distractions
• Distractions can be deadly

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Stay Focused - Keep Your Mind on the Road
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Published report available atwww.aaafoundation.o
rg
Its not always easy to stay focused and keep
your eyes on the road
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The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a
501(c)(3) public charity located in Washington,
DC that is dedicated to research and education
about the causes of traffic crashes. It is
supported by donations from AAA/CAA Clubs,
AAA/CAA members, and other organizations
associated with the American Automobile
Association/Canadian Automobile Association.