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   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 Dave   Owens Private Citizen Measuring the effect of cell phone use on driving ability is quite simple. The only method of distinguishing a cell phone driver from a drunk driver is by observation. If you see a cell phone glued to their ear, their driving ability is impaired by cell phone use. If you don't see a cell phone, their driving ability is probably impaired by drunkeness. Use the same measurement tools that measure drunkeness to determine the level of drunkeness that equates to cell phone use. In other words, on a closed course, compare the driving ability of cell phone users to people with blood alcohol levels of + and - .10, .20, etc. If the drunks have better driving scores, then cell phone use, while driving, must be treated as drunk driving.   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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