Measuring Distraction: Methods & Techniques

DISCUSSION ISSUES/TOPICS

Methods, Measures & Tools

• How can driver distraction be safely and rigorously studied in normal driving? How valid are studies that use test tracks, simulators, or laboratory methods?
• What measures (dependent variables) are meaningful indices of driver distraction? How do these relate to roadway safety outcomes?
• What technologies (e.g., physiological monitoring), devices (e.g., eye trackers), or analytic techniques (e.g., steering control inputs) can be used to capture measures of distraction?
• Are there good models that allow you to predict the distracting effects or crash risks associated with a particular distractor?
• What, if any, mechanisms are needed to aid in the investigation of technology related crashes and what tools are needed to support these efforts?

• What are the important unanswered questions relating to the scientific measurement of driver distraction? Where should research resources be directed?

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Methods, Measures & Tools
	Association Between Cellular-Telephone Calls and Motor Vehicle Collisions   5/18/00 10:36:46 AM   Measuring Driver Visual Distraction with a Peripheral Detection Task   5/18/00 11:12:37 AM Authors:   Olsson, S. & Burns, P. C. (Department of Education & Psychology, Linkoping University, Sweden; Volvo Technological Development Corporation, Gothenburg, Sweden). View Entire Paper Abstract In order to design safe vehicles it is important to be able to evaluate in-vehicle systems to determine how distracting they are for people to use while driving. The Peripheral Detection Task (PDT) is a method for measuring the amount of driver mental workload and visual distraction in road vehicles. It is a secondary task measure where drivers must respond to random targets presented in their peripheral view. As drivers become distracted they respond slower and miss more of the PDT targets. This study aimed to test if the PDT is useful for measuring driver mental workload and visual distraction from in-vehicle information systems in the real road-traffic environment. Thirteen participants drove on a motorway and country road and performed different tasks (change CD, tune radio and backward counting). The dependent measures were PDT reaction time, hit rate, subjective mental workload and heart rate variability. The PDT reaction time and hit rate measures revealed significant differences between the different tasks. Mean reaction times were slowest for the backward counting task on the country road. The hit rates were best for the baseline driving on both roads and worst for the CD changing task. No significant difference was found between the motorway and the country road for the PDT. It is concluded that the PDT is a good tool for measuring visual distraction and mental workload in a real car. More research is needed to validate the use of the PDT across a wider range of driving and in-vehicle tasks.   A Technical Platform for Driver Inattention Research   5/18/00 1:34:17 PM   The Development of a Design Evaluation Tool and Model of Attention Demand   5/18/00 1:34:25 PM   Divided Attention Ability of Young and Older Drivers   5/30/00 1:12:17 PM   Driver Workload Assessment of Route Guidance System Destination Entry While Driving: A Test Track Study   5/30/00 5:41:52 PM   Proposed Driver Workload Metrics and Methods Project   5/31/00 5:09:07 PM   Measuring distraction: the Peripheral Detection Task   6/1/00 11:58:18 AM   Need a way to track collisions where Cellular is being used.   7/5/00 2:52:06 PM   Some states do collect this data   7/6/00 9:03:20 AM   2nd and 3rd degree causes   7/8/00 7:27:54 PM   NHTSA data-base   7/9/00 8:23:25 PM   Can slow speeds cause accidents?   7/10/00 12:16:31 AM   distracting dolphins   7/12/00 11:20:43 AM   Cellular Phone Turns   7/12/00 1:36:14 PM   Cellular Phone Turns   7/12/00 1:37:15 PM   Please Explain (see full question below)   7/14/00 10:06:46 AM   Why not use horse blinders   7/18/00 3:49:28 PM   Driver responsability   7/18/00 4:30:21 PM   Measuring and Taxing the Social Costs of Distracted Drivers   7/18/00 4:32:06 PM   Accidents   7/18/00 6:20:24 PM   Driver testing   7/18/00 6:27:38 PM   Nip it in the Bud   7/18/00 8:16:16 PM   Drunk Driving Analogy   7/19/00 8:42:44 AM   Promising research direction   7/19/00 11:15:13 AM   Cell phones receiving undue criticism   7/19/00 12:04:04 PM   Responsible Drivers Need Help!   7/20/00 7:51:11 PM   Cellular Phone Turns   7/20/00 11:44:02 PM   Punishment to meet the crime   7/20/00 11:54:56 PM   Nip it in the ?????   7/21/00 12:11:20 AM   Drunk driving analogy II   7/21/00 12:20:41 AM   Promises promises   7/21/00 12:26:37 AM   Marge needs help!   7/21/00 12:34:59 AM   Reasonable assumptions   7/21/00 12:48:35 AM   Distractions   7/21/00 11:56:23 PM   Daytime Running Lights   7/26/00 7:13:04 AM   Moderator Comments and Questions   7/28/00 7:28:28 AM   Slow speed or relative speed?   7/30/00 3:59:16 PM   Criticism long overdue   7/31/00 2:35:08 AM   Primary task of driving   7/31/00 7:49:23 PM   In evaluating the safety impacts of in-vehicle technologies, what are appropriate baseline or comparative tasks?   8/1/00 1:05:43 PM   What about using specific non-technology tasks as baselines to evaluate safety risks?   8/2/00 3:04:48 PM   In your opinion, what is the single most important measure for understanding driver distraction? Why?   8/7/00 8:05:29 AM   Research article on driver distraction from RoSPA   8/8/00 5:46:27 PM   comment to 'nip it in the bud'   8/8/00 5:55:08 PM   Where is the reference from the RoSPA?   8/9/00 11:28:20 AM   Mr. Murray, please   8/9/00 2:03:41 PM   I have that reference   8/9/00 2:56:15 PM   driver distraction and driver workload: not the same thing   8/9/00 3:53:52 PM
Research Needs
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