United States Department of Transportation
i
Using Driver Simulators to Measure the Impact of Distracted Driving on Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators
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2015-06-01
[PDF-5.70 MB]
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Abstract:Driver distraction is at the forefront of public discussion concerning safety on America’s roads and highways. Understanding the risks of distracted driving and finding ways to prevent it has been the goal of Federal, State, and private organizations for decades. The objective of this study was to address the identified gaps in the literature by conducting applied research to better quantify the dangers of distracted driving. Using state-of-the-art driving simulators in realistic traffic, this project focused on the performance of commercial driver’s license (CDL) operators while experiencing distractions in several driving scenarios, combined with various attention-stealing distractions. A research design was created to account for real-world phenomena, using touchscreen devices, cell phones, and external distractions while commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers drove a motion-based truck-driving simulator. These actions and the level of distraction inflicted were quantified by simulator, observation, and electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) data. Overall, both performance and physiological measures showed evidence of driver distraction. Performance measures suggested that the largest performance deficiencies came from actively using a touchscreen Mp3 player. Physiological measures (e.g., EEG) showed that both Mp3 players and cell phones increased workload and decreased attention. After the experiment, drivers provided testimonials that were recorded on video for use in outreach activities to communicate the extreme risks of distracted driving.
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