Investigating Distracted Driving at Roundabouts and Different Road Configurations Using a Driving Simulator

This study investigates the safety impact of distracted driving (“texting while driving”) for different roadway configurations (i.e., “intersections, segments, freeways, and roundabouts”, “urban, suburban, and rural sections”, and “straight and curved road cross-sections”) and various lighting conditions (nighttime and daytime) using a driving simulator setting. The novelty of this study is investigating distracted driving at roundabouts. The simulator study took place at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY. Participants in this study included two main age groups, young adults (between 19 and 25 years) and middle-age groups (between 26 and 64 years). Overall, the standard deviation of speed and lane position of all participants was greater while texting and driving (i.e., when distracted). Both age groups drove significantly different from each other in terms of “lane position keeping” while texting and driving. “Driver speed” was a significant factor impacting “texting while driving” along rural straight and curved road sections. Texting at nighttime on the freeway for middle-age drivers had about 87% higher speed variance than texting at daytime. Texting at nighttime caused the highest speed variance than any daytime operation (either texting or not texting) for both age groups. At roundabouts, middle-age adults had greater speed and lane variances compared to their younger counterparts. Furthermore, there existed a relatively high speed and lane variances for both age groups, raising concerns about texting and driving at roundabouts. Useful recommendations include displaying message signs on the road that alert drivers on the dangerous effect of texting and driving, especially at nighttime.

• Record URL:
  https://annualmeeting.mytrb.org/OnlineProgram/Details/15775
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ACS20 Standing Committee on Safety Performance Analysis.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Goetz, Jackson
  • Haleem, Kirolos
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 100th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2021-1-5 to 2021-1-29
• Date: 2021

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 18p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age groups; Distraction; Driving simulators; Lateral placement; Periods of the day; Roundabouts; Speed; Text messaging
• Geographic Terms: Kentucky
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01763425
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: TRBAM-21-00071
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 4 2021 10:54AM