Analysis of Naturalistic Driving Data to Assess Distraction and Drowsiness in Drivers of Commercial Motor Vehicles

The objective of this study was to reduce and analyze data from previously collected heavy-vehicle naturalistic data to better understand crashes involving heavy-vehicle drivers and the efficiency of Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) operations. Two key elements of this study were to investigate driver distraction and the role it plays in CMV operations and to answer critical questions related to hours of service (HOS) regulations and fatigue. More than 3.8 million miles of naturalistic data were collected from seven fleets and 10 locations under the original Onboard Monitoring System Field Operational Test (OBMS FOT) study. A total of 43 motorcoaches, 73 motorcoach drivers, 182 trucks and 172 truck drivers participated in this study. Key findings from the study showed an overall decrease in cell phone used compared to previous research. Hands-free cell phone use was found to be protective as it likely helps drivers alleviate boredom, while hand-held cell phone use was found to be risky as it takes the driver’s attention away from driving tasks. Additionally, the 8th driving hour showed the highest rate of safety critical event occurrence. This study provides needed insight into motorcoach and truck operations.

• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/57153
• Summary URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/57154
• Corporate Authors:

  Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

  Blacksburg, Virginia  United States 

  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

  Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Hammond, Rebecca L
  • Soccolich, Susan A
  • Han, Shu
  • Guo, Feng
  • Glenn, T Laurel
  • Hanowski, Richard J
• Publication Date: 2021-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 158p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic data collection systems; Commercial drivers; Distraction; Drowsiness; Heavy vehicles; Hours of labor
• Subject Areas: Motor Carriers; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01782632
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FMCSA-RRR-20-003
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 22 2021 5:09PM