The prevalence of in-vehicle driver distraction in moving traffic

The diversion of a driver’s attention from the essential tasks required when driving a vehicle has been demonstrated to significantly increase the risk of having a road crash. Mobile phone use by drivers is widely recognized as increasing crash risk, while many other common distractions, such as eating or adjusting vehicle controls, are also problematic but less well understood. This study was aimed at objectively measuring the prevalence of various in-vehicle distracting driver behaviors in moving traffic. Covert video surveillance was deployed, using specialist video camera systems at four elevated locations on South Australian roads. Video was recorded and then analyzed by multiple independent researchers. A total of 920 drivers were observed in the footage, and 8.9% of all drivers were observed to be potentially distracted. The majority of drivers were in passenger vehicles (94.6%) and among these drivers 8.6% were distracted in comparison to 14% of heavy vehicle drivers. The most prevalent driver distractions observed included mobile phone use (2.5%), reaching for, or holding an object (1.8%), eating or drinking (1.5%) and wearing headphones (0.9%). A higher speed zone was associated with a lower proportion of distracted driving behavior. Reducing mobile phone use in vehicles through blocking technologies and police enforcement will decrease distracted driving and distraction related crashes; however, other in-vehicle distractions are also pervasive and require interventions to reduce distracted driving. Importantly, this methodology can be used to objectively monitor the prevalence of distracted driving behaviors over time and to evaluate interventions aimed at changing distracted driving behavior.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2021.09.020
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847821002242
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13698478
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Ponte, Giulio
  • Edwards, Sally-Anne
  • Wundersitz, Lisa
• Publication Date: 2021-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 33-41
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
  • Volume: 83
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1369-8478
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13698478

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention lapses; Behavior; Distraction; Driver monitoring; Driver performance
• Geographic Terms: South Australia
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01788716
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 18 2021 12:12PM