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    <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
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    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Radar-Camera Infrastructure for Automotive Safety</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2292649</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Safety is a critical strategic goal of the U.S. DoT according to its RD&T plan with zero fatalities being a grand challenge. This proposal directly addresses pedestrian safety – critical to automotive safety. The research team targets the design of roadside infrastructure at critical points along roadways where pedestrian accidents are likely, such as intersections, sharp curves or hidden driveways. Many such locations involve blindspots, where the vehicle or any single roadside sensor only has a partial view of its environment owing to occlusions. There is rich prior art on sensing systems for blindspot monitoring ranging from the cameras, LiDAR or custom (usually visual) sensors, many of which rely on multiple sensors placed at different vantage points adding to cost and installation burden. What is lacking is a sensing platform that can be placed at a single vantage point, and yet offers a seamless “through-occlusion” imaging, while operating over long-range (hundreds of meters) and offering high-resolution (sub-centimeter).   In this proposal, the team designs a high-resolution imaging system despite obstructions using two complementary platforms – a mmWave radar and camera. The team specifically focuses on single-chip automotive mmWave radars that are widely deployed in cars as collision sensors, yet are extremely compact – merely centimeters across. The key technical insight is that both the mmWave radar and camera have complementary strengths. While the mmWave radar offers extremely high depth-resolution (centimeter-scale at even hundreds of meters) and through-occlusion imaging, its spatial resolution is extremely poor (several degrees). In contrast, cameras offer poor depth resolution (several meters, especially at long range), but high spatial resolution. This work explores mechanisms to achieve the best of both these systems on a single combined platform. Unfortunately, a classical data-driven sensor fusion does not directly apply in this case mainly due to the unique attributes of mmWave radar images. Specifically, mmWave radar outputs experience clutter artifacts that must be carefully eliminated to prevent spurious detected objects. The preliminary work on mmWave-and-camera based depth sensing at IROS’22 explicitly models and corrects for this effect prior to fusing sensed data. Through the proposed work, the team seeks to generalize this to generate high-resolution 3D point clouds, including through-occlusions.   Beyond technical research contributions, the objective is to demonstrate end-to-end benefits of the system for existing stakeholders. To this end, the team will further fully implement and evaluate the system on commodity mmWave platforms and camera systems with the support of Bosch, who has generously offered $100K of in-kind support (lab spaces, equipment, personnel time). The designs will be deployed at pedestrian intersections, with the first deployment enabled through active collaboration from the City of Pittsburgh Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, who the team is in conversations with as a deployment partner. The team is acutely aware that pedestrian safety incidents impact under-served, low-income and the housing displaced at a rate much higher than the general population. To this end, the team has engaged with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy as an equity partner to identify the needs of the community in/around Mellon Square Park in shaping the first deployment.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 20 Nov 2023 20:36:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2292649</guid>
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      <title>The E-Bike City as a radical shift toward zero-emission transport: Sustainable? Equitable? Desirable?</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/2219645</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This think piece discusses current barriers to the rapid decarbonization of transport and ways to overcome them. Policymakers face a set of contradictory goals, leading them to ponder only incremental measures: The need to reduce carbon emissions conflicts with accessibility improvements and the resulting induced traffic. At the same time, the prevention of urban sprawl as a means of promoting sustainable mobility is fundamentally thwarted by technical advances in electric cars and autonomous driving. Unable to attract public acceptance for measures that would effectively reduce travel demand, transport policy is failing to provide convincing transition pathways toward sustainable and equitable mobility for growing urban populations.As a possible way forward, the authors propose a new starting point for transport policy discussions, exploring the feasibility of urban transport systems based on sustainable, flexible, and relatively cheap modes of active mobility – the E-Bike City. This paper aims to outline a research agenda for testing the effects of such a policy direction. In contrast to the literature on “cycling cities”, this effort should include possibilities newly opened by the recent availability of electric micro-mobility vehicles. Also, it should aim for a balanced and realistic transition rather than a unimodal utopia.Inspired by friendly conversations around recent urban visions like 15-Minute Cities or Superblocks, this paper is meant to begin a new discussion about alternative future directions for transport policy beyond mere optimization and technical incrementalism.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 31 Jul 2023 08:45:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/2219645</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Shifting gears : automated driving on the eve of autonomous drive</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1894896</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The compelling images and promises attached to autonomous drive vehicles can easily create an impression that one can speak of a radical distinction between a self-driving future and a manual-driving present. Yet today’s drivers can already refer to their everyday driving as being experienced as though on ‘auto-pilot’, in which they are able to drive their cars while lost in things such as daydreams, conversations, or plans for their day ahead. This thesis aims to use cultural analysis in order to investigate this phenomenon of the automation of driving in everyday practice and the manner in which it shapes how drives can be experienced. The thesis analyzes historical and contemporary ethnographic material, collected in both Sweden and the United States, primarily through the theoretical concepts of practice, perception, and embodiment. In seeking to understand a driver’s encounters with automation in their vehicle it does not lose sight of the fact that driving occurs both within a social context as well as within a distinct space which is both framed and experienced through the materiality of the car. Beginning with a look at how the understanding of automation in driving has developed through an incremental process over time, the thesis progresses to an exploration of how drivers today can come to drive automatically and how such a capacity to drive automatically can shape their experience of driving as well as the significance that it holds for them.Such an analysis seeks to contribute towards furthering an understanding both of the manner in which everyday practices can become embodied as a form of tacit knowledge as well as the capacity of mobility systems to change, and be changed by, the individuals who engage with them. It argues that a driver’s existing experiences with automatic driving can, and will, shape their orientation towards any new forms of automated driving technology which they encounter in future use.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:46:09 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1894896</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Give Train Passengers Something to Do!</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1729507</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Give train passengers something to do! Train Operating Companies (TOC) are keen to attract new customers. The way to be successful is high performance and make customers happy. As part of its strategy, at the NS (the Dutch Railways) the customer comes first and passenger satisfaction is now the number one target and performance indicator. NS supports this ambition with a wealth of insights in the drivers of passenger satisfaction. The key challenge is how to successfully convert these insights into action; meaningful innovation that drives successful business. The authors already know that a happy customer is a loyal customer (Van Hagen, de Bruyn &Ten Elsen, 2016) and emotions play a key role in satisfaction. NS found out that train passengers make decisions on three core emotions which drives behaviour: feeling in control, feeling appreciated and experiencing freedom. The combined set of principles – three per core need (control, appreciation, freedom) – are linked to nine stages of the customer journey making up the companies ‘Customer Experience Innovation Framework’ (Van Hagen & van der Made, 2017). Based on the innovation framework, this paper describes three new initiatives which NS initiated with different design partners and in which the focus is on the core emotions of appreciation and freedom: 1. Travel yourself fit For the Dutch Design Week of 2017, the Dutch design studio Enrichers developed for NS an interactive furniture collection, ranging from water floors (Floatile) to 'surf' on the movements on the train, a water sofa (Bambata) to increase conversations among travelers and a moving cushion (Macaron) to facilitate sweat-less workouts. In carriage heading for Eindhoven passengers could use the furniture to get fitter. The aim of the project was to influence the mood of passengers in a positive way using the moving furniture in the train at service. 2. Mindfulness At the same moment but on another train to Eindhoven, Studio Kaptijn has given passengers the possibility to use an app with tips and instructions for meditation. Goal of the mindfulness app was to cool passengers down from daily stress and make them relax by using the app. 3. Station language During the Dutch Design Week of 2018, Wouter Corvers en Bouke Bruins have used 65.000 magnetic letters which passengers could use to make words, sentences or poetry on steel parts of Eindhoven Central station. Goal was to kill the waiting time and to connect people with each other. Using the methodology of evidence based design, all three projects have been tested in a life environment with customers. The results of all three projects were very positive and recommendations are to use this kind of interventions more often to surprise the passengers and influence emotions in a positive way and enhance the image of the Netherlands Railways.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2020 11:08:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1729507</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Policies to Maximize Fuel Economy of Plug-In Hybrids in a Rental Fleet</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1561052</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology offers the ability to achieve zero tailpipe emissions coupled with convenient refueling. Fleet adoption of PHEVs, often motivated by organizational and regulatory sustainability targets, may not always align with optimal use cases. In a car rental application, barriers to improving fuel economy over a conventional hybrid include: diminished benefits of additional battery capacity on long-distance trips, sparse electric charging infrastructure at the fleet location, lack of renter understanding of electric charging options, and a principle-agent problem where the driver accrues fewer benefits than costs for actions that improve fuel economy, like charging and eco-driving. This study uses high-resolution driving data collected from twelve Ford Fusion Energi sedans owned by University of California, Davis (UC Davis), where the vehicles are rented out for university-related activities. The data is analyzed to understand the degree to which the electric battery is taken advantage of by fleet management and end users to reduce fuel costs and emissions. Specifically, characteristics of trips assigned to those vehicles, driver behavior, locations of charging events and missed charging opportunities, state of charge (SOC) at the start of rentals, and segments of trips typically covered by electric driving range are examined. Finally, machine learning techniques, including a decision tree analysis, are used to understand predictors of fuel economy for this fleet. Conversations with fleet management, including presentation of analysis results, are used to generate policy recommendations. We find that due to the typical length of trips, a conventional hybrid would achieve roughly equivalent fuel economy in the UC Davis motor pool, although the plug-in option offers an opportunity to expand exposure of drivers to electrification. Steps for improvement include expanding on-site fleet charging infrastructure, educating users on charging options prior to rental, and consideration of trip destination in vehicle selection for rental.       ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 20 Dec 2019 16:17:39 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1561052</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The effects of takeover request modalities on highly automated car control transitions</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1570997</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study investigated the influences of takeover request (TOR) modalities on a drivers’ takeover performance after they engaged in non-driving related (NDR) tasks in highly automated driving (HAD). Visual, vibrotactile, and auditory modalities were varied in the design of the experiment under four conditions: no-task, phone conversation, smartphone interaction, and video watching tasks. Driving simulator experiments were conducted to analyze the drivers’ take-over performance by collecting data during the transition time of re-engaging control of the vehicle, the time taken to be on the loop, and time taken to be physically ready to drive. Data were gathered on the perceived usefulness, safety, satisfaction, and effectiveness for each TOR based on a self-reported questionnaire. Takeover and hands-on times varied considerably, as shown by high standard deviation values between modalities, especially for phone conversations and smartphone interaction tasks. Moreover, it was found that participants failed to take over control of the vehicle when they were given visual TORs for phone conversation and smartphone interaction tasks. The perceived safety and satisfaction varied for the NDR task. Results from the statistical analysis showed that the NDR task significantly influenced the takeover time, but there was no significant interaction effect between the TOR modalities and the NDR task. The results could potentially be applied to the design of safe and efficient transitions of highly controlled, automated driving, where drivers are enabled to engage in NDR tasks.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 31 Dec 2018 09:05:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1570997</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>On-Road Comparison of Driving Performance Measures When Using Handheld and Voice-Control Interfaces for Mobile Phones and Portable Music Players</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1431054</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study presents an on-road evaluation of driver performance when controlling in-car technology via a handheld or voice-controlled interface. Participants drove with an experimenter on public roads while making mobile phone calls, having brief phone conversations, and playing tracks from a portable music player using both types of interface. The test vehicle was an instrumented 2010 Mercury Mariner equipped with the Ford SYNC® system, which allows for voice control of mobile phones and portable music devices. Twenty-one participants were tested, including 12 younger (19-34) and 9 older (39-51). All participants were owners of a vehicle equipped with the voice-control system, and all used the system regularly for phone calls and music playback.         Results indicated that handheld dialing and music track selection tasks were of longer duration and were associated with more frequent and longer glances to the interior of the vehicle, more total glance time to the interior of the vehicle, higher steering variance and maximum steering wheel velocity, and higher subjective mental demand than when using voice control for the same tasks. These differences were not found for conversation tasks. All tasks had higher mental demand than baseline driving. Further, older drivers had more difficulty maintaining vehicle tracking when dialing and playing tracks using handheld controls, as seen in steering variance and maximum steering velocity data. These findings suggest that voice control of in-vehicle devices may allow drivers to keep their eyes on the road longer, track their course more consistently, and have lower mental demand than when these devices are controlled manually.       ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 27 Sep 2018 16:12:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1431054</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Driverless? Autonomous Trucks and the Future of the American Trucker</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1540733</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The $740-billion-a-year U.S. trucking industry is widely expected to be an early adopter of self-driving technology, with numerous tech companies and major truck makers racing to build autonomous trucks. This trend has led to dozens of reports and news articles suggesting that automation could effectively eliminate the truck-driving profession. By forecasting and assessing multiple scenarios for how self-driving trucks could actually be adopted, this report projects that the real story will be more nuanced but no less concerning. Autonomous trucks could replace as many as 294,000 long-distance drivers, including some of the best jobs in the industry. Many other freight-moving jobs will be created in their place, perhaps even more than will be lost, but these new jobs will be local driving and last-mile delivery jobs that— absent proactive public policy—will likely be misclassified independent contractors and have lower wages and poor working conditions. The findings in this report are based on in-depth industry research and extensive interviews with the full range of stakeholders: computer scientists and engineers, Silicon Valley tech companies, venture capitalists, trucking manufacturers, trucking firms, truck drivers, labor advocates and unions, academic experts, and others. Section 2 provides some basic background on the trucking industry and the development of autonomous trucks. Section 3 lays out a series of scenarios for how different kinds of autonomous trucks might actually be used, based on published reports and extensive conversations with technology developers. Section 4 suggests which trucking jobs might be affected by those scenarios and what the labor market impacts might look like. Section 5 concludes the report by suggesting a set of policy steps to help ensure that tomorrow’s trucking jobs are good jobs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 20 Sep 2018 10:57:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1540733</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>What Does it Mean to be Ready for Connected and Automated Vehicles? Six Steps to Help Agencies Prepare</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1516840</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Thanks  to  rapid  advances  in  technology,  along  with  changes  in  societal  and  generational  expectations,  those  who  are  charged  with  owning,  operating,  and  maintaining  transportation  infrastructure  are  adjusting  to  a  new  way  of  approaching  their  business  on  a  daily  basis. Specific  to  connected  and  automated  vehicles  (CAVs),  one  of  the  more  common  conversations  among  transportation  infrastructure  professionals  is  the  simple  yet  complex  question:  What  can  we  do  to  get  ready  for  CAVs?    This article offers six  steps  to  help  agencies  prepare:  build  on  the  TSM&O  philosophy;  identify  your  starting  point;  explore  partnerships; integrate  CAV  into  planning; don’t  panic;  and maintain  perspective.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jun 2018 09:40:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1516840</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mobile phone conversations, listening to music and quiet (electric) cars: Are traffic sounds important for safe cycling?</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1483438</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Listening to music or talking on the phone while cycling as well as the growing number of quiet (electric) cars on the road can make the use of auditory cues challenging for cyclists. The present study examined to what extent and in which traffic situations traffic sounds are important for safe cycling. Furthermore, the study investigated the potential safety implications of limited auditory information caused by quiet (electric) cars and by cyclists listening to music or talking on the phone. An Internet survey among 2249 cyclists in three age groups (16–18, 30–40 and 65–70 year old) was carried out to collect information on the following aspects: 1) the auditory perception of traffic sounds, including the sounds of quiet (electric) cars; 2) the possible compensatory behaviours of cyclists who listen to music or talk on their mobile phones; 3) the possible contribution of listening to music and talking on the phone to cycling crashes and incidents. Age differences with respect to those three aspects were analysed. Results show that listening to music and talking on the phone negatively affects perception of sounds crucial for safe cycling. However, taking into account the influence of confounding variables, no relationship was found between the frequency of listening to music or talking on the phone and the frequency of incidents among teenage cyclists. This may be due to cyclists’ compensating for the use of portable devices. Listening to music or talking on the phone whilst cycling may still pose a risk in the absence of compensatory behaviour or in a traffic environment with less extensive and less safe cycling infrastructure than the Dutch setting. With the increasing number of quiet (electric) cars on the road, cyclists in the future may also need to compensate for the limited auditory input of these cars.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2017 12:31:46 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1483438</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Feasibility and Demonstration of Small Automated Vehicles as a Viable Transit Solution in North Carolina</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1423968</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The state of North Carolina, as well as the United States in general, needs a new transportation modality that solves the circulator problem, with travel distances of 10 miles or less. The number of sites across the state that could use such a system are myriad and include: college campuses, corporate campuses, large shopping malls, airports, amusement parks and fairgrounds, sports complexes, dense urban centers, and downtown regions, along with interconnections between nearby and adjacent circulators. 
The important characteristics of the proposed solution include: low cost; quick, easy, and inexpensive installation; a narrow guideway footprint and elevated construction allowing installation on shoulders, medians, greenways, easements, etc.; automated travel and vehicle repositioning; immediate passenger access to vehicles upon arrival at a station (no waiting); no stops for passengers between stations (no delays enroute); and private cars for single passengers or couples. 
The pent-up market demand for a system with these characteristics is significant. For example, the North Carolina State University (NCSU) campus master plan includes a currently vacant transportation corridor intended to connect the Hunt and DH Hill libraries, a distance of approximately 2 miles. Unfortunately, no transportation system currently exists to fill this corridor. Barriers include cost, size, ease of installation, and travel time. 
NCSU researchers have conceptualized a new transportation modality, EcoPRT, to fill the corridor. Subsequent conversations with a number of key stakeholders in the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area have revealed significant interest for such a low-cost system at many sites. 
To date, NCSU researchers have built a full-sized, prototype vehicle and a small test track. This project seeks to further develop such a system. Investigation would include a pilot demonstration for the general public, a corridor feasibility study, and a state-wide economic impact analysis. 
The guiding principles for this research are: (1) significantly reduced costs compared to existing transit modalities including BRT and light rail; (2) significantly easier installation procedures, so that installation is similar to that of putting in utility poles for a power line; (3) narrow guideway footprint and elevated guideway placement so that guideways may be installed nearly anywhere, including shoulders, medians, easements, greenways, sidewalks, etc.; (4) no waiting at stations and no delays enroute for passengers; and (5) significantly reduced environmental impact compared to any other transit modality in current wide-scale use. 
The proposed work encompasses three types of effort: (1) actual construction of prototype vehicles; (2) deployment of vehicles for public demonstration and use; and (3) research activities to better understand statewide economic impact and potential siting possibilities. 
The final deliverables for this project include a working demonstration system on the NCSU campus, a final report outlining the research results and methodology, and a TREDIS Analysis for impacts. The results of this research will be important to North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to facilitate decision-making on the full potential of this new transportation modality
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:42:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1423968</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Proceedings of the 12th AASHTO International Day</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1377774</link>
      <description><![CDATA[For more than a decade beginning in Nagoya, Japan in 2004, AASHTO Day has taken place at the outset of the ITS World Congresses, attracting a wide array of outstanding speakers and participants to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing public agencies as they deploy technologies to transform our transportation system. This year, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has prepared proceedings from the Sunday morning October 4, 2015 convening for sharing and use not only by those who attending the event, but others from around the world who might benefit from the presentations and subsequent conversations that took place. The topic was infrastructure readiness for connected and automated vehicles. AASHTO Day included presentations from all three regions showcasing two initiatives affecting a number of countries in the European Union as well as three national perspectives from Asia–Pacific, the United States, and Canada. Rather than synopsize each of the presentations in detail, these proceedings highlight compelling points from each presentation. This document also contains highlights from the 2015 ITS World Congress held in Bordeaux.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2016 17:11:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1377774</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Deepening the Use of Social Media in ITS: Idaho's Cars-Vox "Citizen Reporting" Project</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1322372</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Whatever one’s industry, no shortage of lip-service is given to the need to integrate social media platforms into one’s operational framework, and those in the ITS industry are no exception. Many agencies have “checked off” social media integration from their lists after establishing, for example, Twitter and Facebook feeds that, in essence, serve as yet another channel for broadcasting information already published through web sites, phone systems, press releases, etc. One-way feeds, however, ignore the newer, more interesting, and complex interactions that social media platforms make possible in engaging with members of the public. While using social media to enable two-way conversations with the general public is more potentially daunting and “messy,” it also enables new types of critical, more real-time information to be brought into operations. Similar results can be achieved by enabling members of the public to talk with each other, as well as engage with the organization in a new way. This paper discusses one agency’s initial exploration into two-way “social media” and “crowd-sourced” traveler information. Working with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) in the U.S., Castle Rock Associates, Inc., developed a software module called CARS-Vox to facilitate direct public input into ITD’s winter condition reporting system. These crowd-sourced updates are not intended to change, replace or delete any official agency reports, but can help supplement or update information that the state has provided, while also calling the state’s attention to potentially serious road conditions in the state that require response.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2014 16:49:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1322372</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Economic Externalities of Relative Accident Rates between SUV vs. Passenger Cars</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/1230088</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research project is part of the annual Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center research grant. Driver distraction has always been an issue of major concern. The growing number of accidents due to complexity in the road side environment is considered a major problem. Driver distraction can either be due to on-road or in-vehicle factors, such as cell phones, stereos, conversations with other passengers, etc. The objective of this research is to assess the extent of distraction caused by billboards by analyzing the driver's eye movement in the presence of billboards. The analysis will be carried out by a simulator. The results will give an idea of the safety effects of billboards on drivers.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:53:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/1230088</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Conversations in cars: the relative hazards of mobile phones</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/805969</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The aim of this study was to benchmark the distraction caused by hands-free mobile phone conversations in relation to other conventional in-car tasks, and to similar conversations held with a front seat passenger. Thirty experienced drivers aged between 21 and 64 years drove a 17 km route in the TRL driving simulator for each experimental condition. The results showed a complex but consistent picture of distraction. Measures of car following ability and general measures of speed control showed that all additional conversation and in-vehicle tasks produced more variable performance consistent with the additional load imposed. Self report subjective workload measures showed that both in-vehicle and passenger conversation tasks were rated equally more difficult than baseline driving. Handsfree conversations were rated yet more difficult. This pattern was repeated in results of choice reaction time tasks. When drivers were required to respond selectively to road signs, it was shown that the best performance was achieved in the driving baseline condition, with a significant deterioration to in-vehicle and passenger conversation conditions, and yet further deterioration in the handsfree conversation drive.The act of driving was shown to have a distinct effect on the quality and character of a conversation. The rate of talking, the number of pauses, number of errors and performance on verbal and numerical reasoning tasks all deteriorated when driving at the same time. Comparison was made between the conversations held over the carphone and with the front seat passenger. There was a clear difference on all conversation measures showing that performance was worse when the response was via the handsfree carphone.It is concluded that hands-free phone conversations impair driving performance more than these other common in-vehicle distractions.(A)]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:18:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/805969</guid>
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