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   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 Authors:   Mourant, R. R., Tsai, F., Al-Shihabi, T., & Jaeger, B. K. (Virtual Environments Laboratory, Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Northeastern University). View Entire Paper Abstract This study formulates a divided attention task that measures the capacity of drivers to use in-vehicle Advanced Transportation Information Systems (ATIS). Henderson and Suen (1999) have suggested that an ATIS is a two-edged sword for older drivers because with advancing age drivers experience diminished perceptual and cognitive abilities that make it difficult to use in-vehicle displays. When using an in-vehicle display to obtain potentially useful information, a driver usually 1) makes a small head movement to the right accompanied by an eye-movement of about 30-35 degrees and 2) adjusts his/her eye for close vision which involves convergence eye movements and accommodation of the eye lenses. For people who are 60 years or older these processes take longer and thus older drivers spend more time than young drivers acquiring information from an in-vehicle display. The present study measures drivers’ ability to obtain information while constantly switching between near and far visual tasks. In addition we compare driver performance relative to two display formats.   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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