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Measuring Distraction: Methods & Techniques

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 Papers, polls, Q&A items, and comments on this page are oriented to topics and issues associated with the methods and techniques used to measure driver distraction. Feel free to post comments on issues outlined below, or in response to papers, polls, and/or questions submitted to our expert panel. These discussions are meant to emphasize questions of scientific rigor for research and evaluation efforts. A moderator has been assigned to periodically synthesize comments, keep discussions focused and moving, emphasize key points, and offer additional insights into related issues.

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

 

Content Available In Each Topic Area

  Paper  
comments
  Comment  

  Ask the Expert  

  Poll  

 

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

  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

comments   Need a way to track collisions where Cellular is being used.   7/5/00 2:52:06 PM

comments   Some states do collect this data   7/6/00 9:03:20 AM

comments   2nd and 3rd degree causes   7/8/00 7:27:54 PM

comments   NHTSA data-base   7/9/00 8:23:25 PM

comments   Can slow speeds cause accidents?   7/10/00 12:16:31 AM

comments   distracting dolphins   7/12/00 11:20:43 AM

comments   Cellular Phone Turns   7/12/00 1:36:14 PM

comments   Cellular Phone Turns   7/12/00 1:37:15 PM

  Please Explain (see full question below)   7/14/00 10:06:46 AM
Thomas   Dingus


The USA Today recently reported a story on cell phones and electronic driving distractions. The following statements, attributed to you, were cited in that article. "Glancing from the road to insert a compact disc, for example, makes a driver six times more likely to have an accident than glancing at the fuel gauge, says Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Programming some navigation systems while driving can increase the risk of an accident 30 times, Dingus says." Please explain.

Wierwille and Tijerina (1998) using a narrative crash database from North Carolina were able to put together a simple regression model that relates eye glance behavior to crash rates. This model, although simple, is built upon actual crash data and reasonable assumptions. The model requires as input the following parameters:

  • Average Glance Length
  • Number of Glances, and
  • Frequency of device use

The data for the fuel gage was present in the Wierwille and Tijerina article as were data on the frequency of using radio controls. I used additional data that we have gathered on-road over several years from a variety of studies and data that were present in other articles to generate a range representing the types of new devices that are coming onto the market. In addition to using these data for glance length and number of glances, I estimated that a typical frequency of use for such a device would be 20 times per week. This represents two times per commute trip and would probably be a reasonable estimate for a navigation system with traffic information or a mobile internet type of application. In contrast, the radio control use frequency was 56 times per week. From these data, the model predicted a crash rate of 7 to 32 times higher for the newer devices relative to the simple visual task of checking a fuel gage.

Reference
Wierwille, W.W.and Tijerina, L. (l998). Modelling the Relationship between Driver In-Vehicle Visual Demands And Accident Occurrence. In Vision in Vehicles VI. North Holland Press, Amsterdam.


comments   Why not use horse blinders   7/18/00 3:49:28 PM

comments   Driver responsability   7/18/00 4:30:21 PM

comments   Measuring and Taxing the Social Costs of Distracted Drivers   7/18/00 4:32:06 PM

comments   Accidents   7/18/00 6:20:24 PM

comments   Driver testing   7/18/00 6:27:38 PM

comments   Nip it in the Bud   7/18/00 8:16:16 PM

comments   Drunk Driving Analogy   7/19/00 8:42:44 AM

comments   Promising research direction   7/19/00 11:15:13 AM

comments   Cell phones receiving undue criticism   7/19/00 12:04:04 PM

comments   Responsible Drivers Need Help!   7/20/00 7:51:11 PM

comments   Cellular Phone Turns   7/20/00 11:44:02 PM

comments   Punishment to meet the crime   7/20/00 11:54:56 PM

comments   Nip it in the ?????   7/21/00 12:11:20 AM

comments   Drunk driving analogy II   7/21/00 12:20:41 AM

comments   Promises promises   7/21/00 12:26:37 AM

comments   Marge needs help!   7/21/00 12:34:59 AM

comments   Reasonable assumptions   7/21/00 12:48:35 AM

comments   Distractions   7/21/00 11:56:23 PM

comments   Daytime Running Lights   7/26/00 7:13:04 AM

comments   Moderator Comments and Questions   7/28/00 7:28:28 AM

comments   Slow speed or relative speed?   7/30/00 3:59:16 PM

comments   Criticism long overdue   7/31/00 2:35:08 AM

comments   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

comments   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

comments   Research article on driver distraction from RoSPA   8/8/00 5:46:27 PM

comments   comment to 'nip it in the bud'   8/8/00 5:55:08 PM

comments   Where is the reference from the RoSPA?   8/9/00 11:28:20 AM

comments   Mr. Murray, please   8/9/00 2:03:41 PM

comments   I have that reference   8/9/00 2:56:15 PM

comments   driver distraction and driver workload: not the same thing   8/9/00 3:53:52 PM
Research Needs
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