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Egg-and-cheese
biscuits-to-go, tape players, and construction zones: What distracts
drivers?
Drivers have a lot competing for their attention these days. Cars have elaborate sound systems with lots of buttons to fiddle. Breakfast, lunch or dinner-on-the-road are part of everyday life. Crying babies, complicated construction zones and cell phone conversations all vie for the attention of drivers. How do distractions such as these affect transportation safety? This is a question that HSRC researchers are examining in a new study funded by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. More specifically, HSRC researchers are looking at what things or events distract drivers and the relative importance these distractions play in causing crashes. Potential distractions being studied include eating, drinking, smoking or reading while driving, cell phone use in cars, and tape and compact disc use. They are also looking to see if drivers are distracted by young children or pets in cars, or by conversations with passengers. Distractions outside the vehicle such as complicated construction zones or situations where cars are stopped alongside roadways are also being examined. "Once we look at the data, we may find other driver distractions that we hadn't considered before," Project Director Dr. Jane Stutts said. Working in conjunction with researchers from Scientex Corp., in Kulpsville, Pa., HSRC researchers are looking at ages and genders of drivers involved in crashes caused by driver distraction to determine if certain groups are more likely to be involved. They are also examining the severity of injury to drivers and passengers involved in these crashes. North Carolina motor vehicle crash data is being used along with the Crashworthiness Data System — a part of the National Automotive Sampling System. Researchers are determining the relative frequencies and severities of such distractions, and their likelihood of causing a crash. NHTSA estimates that up to one million crashes a year are caused by driver inattention or distraction.
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