Driver Distraction in Commercial Vehicle Operations
This study investigated the impact of driver distraction in commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operations. Data from two earlier naturalistic studies were combined to create a data set of 203 CMV drivers and 55 trucks from seven trucking fleets operating at 16 locations. A total of 4,452 safety-critical events (i.e., crashes, near-crashes, crash-relevant conflicts, and unintentional lane deviations) were identified in the data set, along with 19,888 baseline (uneventful, routine driving) epochs. Data analyses included odds ratio calculations and population attributable risk estimates. Key findings were that drivers were engaged in non-driving related tasks in 71 percent of crashes, 46 percent of near-crashes, and 60 percent of all safety-critical events. Also, performing highly complex tasks while driving led to a significant increase in risk. Eye glance analyses examined driver eye location while performing tasks while operating a CMV. Tasks associated with high odds ratios (increased risk) were also associated with high eyes off forward road times. This suggests that tasks that draw the driver’s visual attention away from the forward roadway should be minimized or avoided. Based on the results of the analyses, a number of recommendations are presented that may help address the issue of driver distraction in CMV operations.
- Record URL:
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Corporate Authors:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
Center for Truck and Bus Safety, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
3500 Transportation Research Plaza
Blacksburg, VA United States 24061Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Authors:
- Olson, Rebecca L
- Hanowski, Richard J
- Hickman, Jeffrey S
- Bocanegra, Joseph L
- Publication Date: 2009-9
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Web
- Edition: Final Report
- Features: Appendices; Bibliography; Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 285p
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Commercial drivers; Commercial vehicle operations; Crash risk forecasting; Distraction; Human factors in crashes; Near crashes; Traffic conflicts; Truck crashes; Truck drivers
- Uncontrolled Terms: Glance behavior; Lane deviation; Visual attention
- Subject Areas: Motor Carriers; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01146830
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: FMCSA-RRR-09-042
- Contract Numbers: DTMC75-07-D-00006
- Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
- Created Date: Dec 22 2009 4:17PM