A qualitative study of college students' perceptions of risky driving and social influences

Objectives: Young adults and teens are documented as the riskiest drivers on the road, and newer issues such as texting and driving are a growing concern. This study sought to determine the risk perceptions of young adults regarding various driving behaviors, their past experiences, how their social circles are structured, and how this might affect their driving. Methods: This study conducted qualitative research with 25 college undergraduate students to determine their peer and social influences regarding distracted driving. Data were analyzed and related to the health belief model and past research on social influence. Results: Though most participants felt that their behaviors were set after learning to drive, they were, in fact, quite susceptible to the influence of those in their social circles (e.g., fear of judgment and accountability) and, more broadly, to social norms. Texting and driving was the largest and most topical distracted driving issue and was also identified as very difficult to stop due to perceived barriers and the idea that intervening is rude. Participants identified low perceived susceptibility and severity (perceived threat) for a number of risky driving behaviors, including texting and driving. Conclusions: Training is needed to encourage people to intervene and speak up regarding behaviors other than drinking and driving, and cues to action and campaigns should target intervention to increase self-efficacy, as well as norms, susceptibility, and common rationalizations for risky behavior.     

Prevalence and trends of distracted driving in Canada

Introduction: This study evaluates prevalence and trends in distracted driving in Canada based on multiple indicators collected from the Road Safety Monitor (RSM) and Canada’s National Fatality Database maintained by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). Method: Data from the RSM on self-reported distracted driving behaviors were analyzed using multivariate techniques including logistic regression analysis in various years spanning from 2004 to 2019. Data from TIRF’s National Fatality Database from 2000 to 2016 were also analyzed using piecewise regression analysis to evaluate trends and prevalence of driver distraction. Results: Significantly more Canadians reported talking on their phone hands-free or handheld phone while driving in 2019 compared to 2010. There was a 102% increase in the percentage that reported texting while driving in 2019 (9.7%) compared to 2010 (4.8%). For every 10-year increase in age, drivers were 44% less likely to text, 38% less likely to use a handheld phone, and 28% less likely to use a hands-free phone. Males were 62% more likely to use a handheld phone and 50% more likely to use a hands-free phone than females. Findings related to drivers’ perceived danger of distracted driving and attitudes are also presented. Although the number of distraction-related fatalities has not increased substantially from 2000 to 2016, the percentage of all fatalities where distraction was a contributing factor has increased. Unlike drinking drivers, distracted drivers more often kill other road users in crashes than kill themselves. Conclusions: In conclusion, while most Canadians appear to understand that one of the high-risk forms of distracted driving (i.e., texting while driving) is indeed dangerous, there is a minority who are unaware of, or resistant to, this fact. Practical Applications: Enforcement activities and education initiatives to combat distracted driving ought to be tailored to the target audience based on the patterns uncovered.     

Self-regulation of driving speed among distracted drivers: An application of driver behavioral adaptation theory

Objective: The adaptive behavior of mobile phone–distracted drivers has been a topic of much discussion in the recent literature. Both simulator and naturalistic studies suggest that distracted drivers generally select lower driving speeds; however, speed adaptation is not observed among all drivers, and the mechanisms of speed selection are not well understood. The aim of this research was to apply a driver behavioral adaptation model to investigate the speed adaptation of mobile phone–distracted drivers.

Methods: The speed selection behavior of drivers was observed in 3 phone conditions including baseline (no conversation) and hands-free and handheld phone conversations in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Speed adaptation in each phone condition was modeled as a function of secondary task demand and self-reported personal/psychological characteristics with a system of seemingly unrelated equations (SURE) accounting for potential correlations due to repeated measures experiment design.

Results: Speed adaptation is similar between hands-free and handheld phone conditions, but the predictors of speed adaptation vary across the phone conditions. Though perceived workload of secondary task demand, self-efficacy, attitude toward safety, and driver demographics were significant predictors of speed adaptation in the handheld condition, drivers' familiarity with the hands-free interface, attitude toward safety, and sensation seeking were significant predictors in the hands-free condition. Drivers who reported more positive safety attitudes selected lower driving speeds while using phones.

Conclusion: This research confirmed that behavioral adaptation models are suitable for explaining speed adaptation of mobile phone distracted drivers, and future research could be focused on further theoretical refinement.     

Changes in the sources of distracted driving among Northern Virginia drivers in 2014 and 2018: A comparison of results from two roadside observation surveys

Introduction: An increase in distracted driving has been suggested as a factor contributing to the 15% increase in fatal crashes from 2014 to 2016, but objective information about the prevalence of distracted driving in recent years is incomplete or lacking. The current study replicated a 2014 observation study conducted in Northern Virginia to examine whether the prevalence of distracted driving overall and of individual secondary behaviors has changed. Method: Drivers of moving or stopped vehicles were observed at 12 locations across 4 Northern Virginia communities during the daytime. The presence of 12 different secondary behaviors was recorded. Results: In 2018, about 23% of drivers were engaged in at least one secondary behavior, which was not significantly different from 2014. Overall phone use was not significantly different between 2014 and 2018. However, the likelihood of holding a cellphone significantly decreased while the likelihood of manipulating a cellphone significantly increased in 2018 relative to 2014. About 14% of drivers were engaged in noncellphone secondary behaviors in 2014 and 2018, which exceeded the proportion using phones in both years. Conclusions: There was no evidence that distracted driving has become more common in recent years, but the prevalence of some secondary behaviors has changed. Most concerning was the 57% increase in the likelihood of cellphone manipulation in 2018 relative to 2014, a behavior that has been consistently linked to increased crash risk; however, because the behavior is uncommon overall, the increased prevalence would be expected to only slightly increase crash rates. Practical applications: Although cellphone use was frequently observed in 2014 and 2018, collectively, other noncellphone secondary behaviors were more prevalent. Practitioners and policymakers should continue targeting cellphone use, but also must target other common secondary behaviors to fully address distracted driving.     

An awareness campaign decreases distracted driving among hospital employees at a rural trauma center

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether an educational campaign on distracted driving will have an impact in a given community.

Methods: Investigators were stationed in an employee parking lot of a 256-bed hospital to determine baseline distracted driving followed by a 4-week hospital-wide distracted-driving awareness campaign. The campaign included signs/posters in the hospital, a booth outside of the cafeteria with flyers, a large banner in the employee lot and an opportunity for people to sign a pledge form to drive distraction free. The same employee lot was observed at the same time of the day to re-assess distracted driving immediately following the campaign. The observations were repeated again one year later to evaluate the short and long-term impact of the campaign.

Results: A total of 485 vehicles were observed pre-campaign, identifying 170 (35%) distracted drivers at baseline. The awareness campaign resulted in 525 people pledging to drive distraction free. Following the campaign, 495 vehicles were observed and the number of distracted drivers was 64 (12.9%), showing a significant decrease in the number of distracted drivers by 22.1% (p?<?0.01). One year later, 530 drivers were observed with 150 (28%) displaying one form of distraction.

Conclusions: A local distracted driving educational campaign resulted in a significant decrease in the number of distracted drivers immediately following the campaign. However, one year after the campaign, there was an increase in distracted driving. The proportion of distracted drivers was still significantly lower than the initial rate of distracted-drivers.     

Perceived stress,mental health,organizational factors,and self-reported risky driving behaviors among truck drivers circulating in France

Introduction: The growth of the European market for road-freight transport has recently led to important changes. The growing number of foreign pavilion drivers transiting in France, which plays a bridging role among European countries, has influenced the lives of truck drivers by increasing competition, pressure on day-to-day activities, and constraints related to delivery deadlines. Adding this new pressure to those inherent in the road-freight transport sector has raised concerns, especially ones linked to levels of perceived stress by truck drivers. Method: With safety concerns in mind, we devised a questionnaire aimed at understanding how French truck drivers and non-French truck drivers, passing through four highway rest areas in France perceive stress, organizational factors, mental health, and risky driving behaviors. A sample of 515 truck drivers took part in the survey (260 French nationals), 97.9% of whom were male. Results: The results of a structural equation model indicated that perceived stress can increase self-reported risky driving behaviors among truck drivers. Furthermore, organizational factors and mental health were closely linked to perceived stress. Finally, some differences were found between French and non-French truck drivers with respect to mind-wandering and mental health, and to perceive driving difficulties to overcome and driving skills. Practical Applications: Several recommendations based on the findings are provided to policymakers and organizations.     

Inclusion of phone use while driving data in predicting distraction-affected crashes

Introduction: Given the tremendous number of lives lost or injured, distracted driving is an important safety area to study. With the widespread use of cellphones, phone use while driving has become the most common distracted driving behavior. Although researchers have developed safety performance functions (SPFs) for various crash types, SPFs for distraction-affected crashes are rarely studied in the literature. One possible reason is the lack of critical distracted behavior information in the commonly used safety data (i.e., roadway inventory, traffic, and crash counts). Recently, the frequency of phone use while driving (referred to as phone use data) is recorded by mobile application companies and has become available to safety researchers. The primary objective of this study is to examine if phone use data can potentially predict distracted-affected crashes. Method: The authors first integrated phone use data with roadway inventory, traffic, and crash data in Texas. Then, the Random Forest (RF) algorithm was applied to assess the significance of the feature - phone use while driving - for predicting the number of distraction-affected crashes on a road segment. Further, this study developed two SPFs for distraction-affected crashes with and without the phone use data, separately. Both SPFs were assessed in terms of model fitting and prediction performances. Results: RF results rank the frequency of phone use as an important factor contributing to the number of distraction-affected crashes. Performance evaluations indicated that the inclusion of phone use data in the SPFs consistently improved both fitting and prediction abilities to predict distracted-affected crashes. Practical Applications: The phone use data provide new insights into the safety analyses of distraction-affected crashes, which cannot be achieved by only using the conventional roadway inventory and crash data. Therefore, safety researchers and practitioners are encouraged to incorporate the emerging data sources in reducing distraction-affected crashes.     

Teens' distracted driving behavior: Prevalence and predictors

IntroductionTeen drivers' over-involvement in crashes has been attributed to a variety of factors, including distracted driving. With the rapid development of in-vehicle systems and portable electronic devices, the burden associated with distracted driving is expected to increase. The current study identifies predictors of secondary task engagement among teenage drivers and provides basis for interventions to reduce distracted driving behavior. We described the prevalence of secondary tasks by type and driving conditions and evaluated the associations between the prevalence of secondary task engagement, driving conditions, and selected psychosocial factors.MethodsThe private vehicles of 83 newly-licensed teenage drivers were equipped with Data Acquisition Systems (DAS), which documented driving performance measures, including secondary task engagement and driving environment characteristics. Surveys administered at licensure provided psychosocial measures.ResultsOverall, teens engaged in a potentially distracting secondary task in 58% of sampled road clips. The most prevalent types of secondary tasks were interaction with a passenger, talking/singing (no passenger), external distraction, and texting/dialing the cell phone. Secondary task engagement was more prevalent among those with primary vehicle access and when driving alone. Social norms, friends' risky driving behaviors, and parental limitations were significantly associated with secondary task prevalence. In contrast, environmental attributes, including lighting and road surface conditions, were not associated with teens' engagement in secondary tasks.ConclusionsOur findings indicated that teens engaged in secondary tasks frequently and poorly regulate their driving behavior relative to environmental conditions. Practical applications: Peer and parent influences on secondary task engagement provide valuable objectives for countermeasures to reduce distracted driving among teenage drivers.     

Understanding driver distractions in fatal crashes: An exploratory empirical analysis

Introduction: Driver distraction has become a significant problem in transportation safety. As more portable wireless devices and driver assistance and entertainment systems become available to drivers, the sources of distraction are increasing. Method: Based on the results of different studies in the literature review, this paper categorizes different distraction enablers into six subcategories according to their fundamental characteristics and how they would affect a driver's likelihood of engaging in non-driving related activities. The review also discusses the characteristics and influence of external and internal distractions. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of different distraction sources in fatal crashes with the consideration of a driver's age and sex. Tukey test, chi-square test of independence, Nemenyi post-hoc test, and Marascuilo procedure have been used to investigate the top distraction sources, the trend of distraction-affected fatal crashes, the effect of different distractions on drives in different age groups, and their influence on female and male drivers. Results: It was found that inner cognitive inferences accounted for the greatest proportion of driver engagement in distractions. Young drivers show a larger probability of being distracted by in-vehicle technology-related devices/objects. Within the group of young drivers, female drivers showed a higher probability than their male counterparts of engaging in distracted driving caused by in-vehicle technology-related devices. Among six subcategories of distractions, drivers older than 80 years old were found to be most likely affected by inner cognitive interferences.     

Individual,business-related,and work environment factors associated with driving tired among taxi drivers in two metropolitan U.S. cities

Introduction: Violence-related events and roadway incidents are the leading causes of injury among taxi drivers. Fatigue is under-recognized and prevalent in this workforce and is associated with both injury outcomes. We describe the association of individual, business-related, and work environment factors with driving tired among taxi drivers in two very different cities. Method: We developed a comprehensive survey for licensed taxi drivers. We trained surveyors to administer the 30-min survey using systematic sampling among taxi drivers waiting for fares in two large U.S. cities: the Southwest (City 1) and the West (City 2). A driving tired scale of the Occupational Driver Behavior Questionnaire was the outcome. Multivariate logistic models described driving tired behavior in city-specific models using adjusted Odds Ratios (ORadj). Results: City 1 and City 2 had 496 and 500 participants, respectively. Each driving tired behavior was significantly more prevalent in City 2 than City 1 (p < .05). There were more variables and a greater diversity of variables in the models describing drowsy driving in City 1 than City 2. In City 1, variables describing negative safety climate (ORadj = 1.15), socio-demographic groups (identifying as Asian, educational attainment), passenger-related violence (ORadj = 1.79), and company tenure (ORadj = 1.15) were associated with driving tired. In City 2, high perceived safety training usefulness (ORadj = 0.48) was associated with driving tired. A risk factor for driving tired that was common to both cities was job demands (ORadj = 1.21 in City 1; 1.43 in City 2). Conclusions: These findings represent two diverse taxi populations driving in two geographically distinct regions that differ in safety regulation. It is important that safety measures that include fatigue awareness training are reaching all drivers. Fatigue management training should be integrated into driver safety programs regardless of location. Practical applications: Fatigue management strategies that recognize individual factors, business-related characteristics, and work environment are an important component of road safety and are particularly relevant for occupational drivers.     

Driving and alternatives: older drivers in Michigan

Method: A statewide telephone survey of Michigan drivers and former drivers aged 65 and older collected information on transportation mode choices, experience with alternatives to driving, and whether drivers planned for when they could no longer drive. Results: Results showed that most older adult households owned at least one automobile, and that the automobile was the primary mode of transportation. Most former drivers obtained rides from relatives and friends. Use of public transportation was low, and some seniors were not aware of available public transportation services. Older drivers did not plan for driving cessation. Over half the drivers who perceived a likelihood of driving problems within 5 years expected to keep driving beyond 5 years. Impact on industry: Because of their lifelong reliance on the automobile, their desire to drive themselves, and their lack of experience with public transportation, efforts to enhance the mobility of older people should consider this background while alternatives to the personal automobile are developed.     

Traffic climate and driver behaviors: The moderating role of driving skills in Turkey and China

Introduction: While road traffic accidents and fatalities are a worldwide problem, the rates of road traffic accidents and fatalities show differences among countries. Similarly, driver behaviors, traffic climate, and their relationships also show differences among countries. The aim of the current study is to investigate the moderating effect of driving skills on the relationship between traffic climate and driver behaviors by country. (Turkey and China). Method: There were 294 Turkish drivers and 292 Chinese drivers, and they completed the Traffic Climate Scale, the Driving Skills Inventory, and the Driver Behavior Questionnaire. The moderated moderation analyses were conducted with Hayes PROCESS tool on SPSS. Results: The results showed that safety skills moderated the relationship between internal requirements and violations both in Turkey and China. Safety skills also moderated the relationship between internal requirements and errors only in China and the relationship between functionality and violations in Turkey. Perceptual-motor skills moderated the relationships between external affective demands and errors, and also the relationship between internal requirements and positive driver behaviors in Turkey. It can be inferred that driving skills has different influences on traffic climate-driver behaviors relationship in different cultures and there might be cultural differences in the evaluation of drivers’ own driving skills. Practical Applications: Among driving skills, safety skills have a more critical role to increase road safety by decreasing number of violations. Interventions to increase safety skills of drivers might be promising for road safety.     

“Like it’s wrong,but it’s not that wrong:” Exploring the normalization of risk-compensatory strategies among young drivers engaging in illegal smartphone use

Introduction: Young drivers are the most vulnerable road users and most likely to use a smartphone illegally while driving. Although when compared with drink-driving, attitudes to illegal smartphone risk are nearly identical, smartphone use among young drivers continues to increase. Method: Four in-depth focus groups were conducted with 13 young (18–25 years) drivers to gain insight into their perceptions of the risks associated with the behavior. Our aim was to determine how drivers navigate that risk and if their behavior shapes and informs perceptions of norms. Results: Three key themes emerged: (a) participants perceived illegal smartphone use as commonplace, easy, and benign; (b) self-regulatory behaviors that compensate for risk are pervasive among illegal smartphone users; and (c) risk-compensation strategies rationalize risks and perceived norms, reducing the seriousness of transgression when compared with drink-driving. Young drivers rationalized their own use by comparing their selfregulatory smartphone and driving skills with those of “bad drivers,” not law abiders. Practical Applications: These findings suggest that smartphone behaviors shape attitudes to risk, highlighting the importance for any countermeasure aimed at reducing illegal use to acknowledge how a young person’s continued engagement in illegal smartphone use is justified by the dynamic composition of use, risk assessment and the perceived norms.     

What’s in a name? Drivers’ perceptions of the use of five SAE Level 2 driving automation systems

Introduction: Automobile manufacturers are developing increasingly sophisticated driving automation systems. Currently, the highest level of automation available on the market is SAE Level 2, which provides sustained assistance for both lateral and longitudinal vehicle control. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how drivers’ perceptions of what behaviors secondary to driving are safe while a Level 2 system is operating vary by system name. Methods: A nationally representative telephone survey of 2005 drivers was conducted in 2018 with questions about behaviors respondents perceived as safe while a Level 2 driving automation system is in operation. Each respondent was asked about two out of five system names at random for a balanced study design. Results: The name “Autopilot” was associated with the highest likelihood that drivers believed a behavior was safe while in operation, for every behavior measured. There was less variation observed among the other four SAE Level 2 system names when compared with each other. A limited proportion of drivers had experience with advanced driver assistance systems and fewer of these reported driving a vehicle in which Level 2 systems were available. Drivers reported that they would consult a variety of sources for information on how to use a Level 2 system. Conclusions: The names of SAE Level 2 driving automation systems influence drivers’ perceptions of how to use them, and the name “Autopilot” was associated with the strongest effect. While a name alone cannot properly instruct drivers on how to use a system, it is a piece of information and must be considered so that drivers are not misled about the correct usage of these systems. Practical Applications: Manufacturers, suppliers, and organizations regulating or evaluating SAE Level 2 automated driving systems should ensure that systems are named so as not to mislead drivers about their safe use.     

Introducing a multi-variate classification method: Risky driving acceptance among different heterogeneous driver sub-cultures

Introduction: Heterogeneous driving populations with many different origins are likely to have various sub-cultures that comprise of drivers with shared driver characteristics, most likely with dissimilar traffic safety cultures. An innovative methodology in traffic safety research is introduced which is beneficial for large datasets with multiple variables, making it useful for the multi-variate classification of drivers, driving attitudes and/or (risky) driving behaviours. Method: With the application of multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS), this study explores traffic safety culture in the State of Qatar using a questionnaire and investigates the similarity patterns between the questionnaire items, aiming to classify attitudes towards risky driving behaviours into themes. MDS is subsequently applied to classify drivers within a heterogeneous driving sample into sub-cultures with shared driver characteristics and different risky driving attitudes. Results: Results show that acceptance of speeding is highest among the young Arabic students and acceptance of distraction and drivers’ negligence such as phone use and not wearing a seatbelt is highest among male Arab drivers. Acceptance of extreme risk-taking like intoxicated driving and red-light running is highest among South-Asian business drivers. Conclusion: It is important and practical to understand risky behavioural habits among sub-cultures and thereby focussing on groups of drivers instead of individuals, because groups are easier to approach and drivers within sub-cultures are found to influence each other. By indicating which groups of drivers are most likely to perform specific risky driving themes, it is possible to target these groups and effectively emphasise certain subsets of risky driving behaviours during training or traffic safety education. Practical Applications: This study provides guidance for the improvement of driver education and targeted traffic safety awareness campaigns, intending to make changes to attitudes and habits within specific driver sub-cultures with the aim to improve traffic safety on the longer term.     

Characteristics of vehicles driven by teens and adults killed in crashes, 2013–2017

Introduction: Teen drivers experience higher crash risk than their experienced adult counterparts. Legislative and community outreach methods have attempted to reduce this risk; results have been mixed. The increasing presence of vehicle safety features across the fleet has driven fatality numbers down in the past decades, but the disparity between young drivers and others remains. Method: We merged Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data on fatal crashes with vehicle characteristic data from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). The analysis compared the vehicle type, size, age, and the presence of select safety features in vehicles driven by teens (ages 15–17 years) and adult drivers (ages 35–50 years) who were killed in crashes from 2013 to 2017. Results were compared with a similar analysis conducted on data from 2007 to 2012. Results: Teen drivers were more likely than their adult counterparts to be killed while driving older, smaller vehicles that were less likely to have the option to be equipped with side airbags. Discussion: Teenage drivers remain more likely to be killed while driving older, smaller vehicles than adult drivers. Parents and guardians are mainly responsible for teen vehicle choice, and should keep vehicle size, weight, and safety features in mind when placing their teen in a vehicle. Practical Application: These findings can help guide safer vehicle choice for new teen drivers.     

Mobile phone use while driving: Development and validation of knowledge,attitude, and practice survey instruments

Introduction: Instruments that assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of mobile phone use serve as a primary assessment tool on which mobile phone distracted driving interventions can be designed. The objective of this study is to develop and validate KAP-modeled survey instruments that measure the knowledge of mobile phone hazards while driving (KMPHD), the attitude of drivers towards mobile phone use while driving (AMPUD), and the practice of mobile phone use while driving (PMPUD). Method: This study was a cross-sectional analytical survey conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria. Three instruments were designed to measure KMPHD, AMPUD, and PMPUD. Content validity, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis were conducted, and items were excluded based on the collective results of the analysis. The domains of the constructs and the reliability of the instruments are reported. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the regression weights of each item and the model fit. Results: From an original list of 13, 12, and 10 items in the KMPHD, AMPUD, and PMPUD instruments, a final list of 7, 5, and 7 items were generated in each survey instrument, respectively. Two domains of the knowledge of hazards and practice of mobile phone use were obtained, and attitude to phone use while driving was a single domain. The reliabilities (Cronbach alpha) of the KMPHD (0.881), AMPUD (0.954), and PMPUD (0.920) were sufficiently high. Also, all items in the three instruments had moderate-to-high regression coefficients, and the model fits of the instruments were good. Conclusions: This study provides KAP-modeled survey instruments that can be used to assess a population-based knowledge, attitude, and practice of mobile phone use while driving. Practical Applications: This survey instrument can be used in assessing baseline knowledge, attitude, and practice of phone use while driving and determine the focus and effectiveness of mobile phone-induced distracted driving interventions.     

Identifying compensatory driving behavior among older adults using the situational avoidance questionnaire

IntroductionDriving self-regulation is considered a means through which older drivers can compensate for perceived declines in driving skill or more general feelings of discomfort on the road. One form of driving self-regulation is situational avoidance, the purposeful avoidance of situations perceived as challenging or potentially hazardous. This study aimed to validate the Situational Avoidance Questionnaire (SAQ, Davis, Conlon, Ownsworth, & Morrissey, 2016) and identify the point on the scale at which drivers practicing compensatory avoidance behavior could be distinguished from those whose driving is unrestricted, or who are avoiding situations for other, non-compensatory reasons (e.g., time or convenience).MethodSeventy-nine Australian drivers (M_age = 71.48, SD = 7.16, range: 55 to 86 years) completed the SAQ and were classified as a compensatory-restricted or a non-restricted driver based on a semi-structured interview designed to assess the motivations underlying avoidance behavior reported on the SAQ.ResultsUsing receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) analysis, the SAQ was found to have high diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity: 85%, specificity: 82%) in correctly classifying the driver groups. Group comparisons confirmed that compensatory-restricted drivers were self-regulating their driving behavior to reduce the perceived demands of the driving task. This group had, on average, slower hazard perception reaction times, and reported greater difficulty with driving, more discomfort when driving due to difficulty with hazard perception skills, and greater changes in cognition over the past five years.ConclusionsThe SAQ is a psychometrically sound measure of situational avoidance for drivers in baby boomer and older adult generations.Practical applicationsUse of validated measures of driving self-regulation that distinguish between compensatory and non-compensatory behavior, such as the SAQ, will advance our understanding of the driving self-regulation construct and its potential safety benefits for older road users.     

Examining drivers' eye glance patterns during distracted driving: Insights from scanning randomness and glance transition matrix

IntroductionVisual attention to the driving environment is of great importance for road safety. Eye glance behavior has been used as an indicator of distracted driving. This study examined and quantified drivers' glance patterns and features during distracted driving.MethodData from an existing naturalistic driving study were used. Entropy rate was calculated and used to assess the randomness associated with drivers' scanning patterns. A glance-transition proportion matrix was defined to quantity visual search patterns transitioning among four main eye glance locations while driving (i.e., forward on-road, phone, mirrors and others). All measurements were calculated within a 5 s time window under both cell phone and non-cell phone use conditions.ResultsResults of the glance data analyses showed different patterns between distracted and non-distracted driving, featured by a higher entropy rate value and highly biased attention transferring between forward and phone locations during distracted driving. Drivers in general had higher number of glance transitions, and their on-road glance duration was significantly shorter during distracted driving when compared to non-distracted driving.ConclusionsResults suggest that drivers have a higher scanning randomness/disorder level and shift their main attention from surrounding areas towards phone area when engaging in visual-manual tasks.Practical applicationsDrivers' visual search patterns during visual-manual distraction with a high scanning randomness and a high proportion of eye glance transitions towards the location of the phone provide insight into driver distraction detection. This will help to inform the design of in-vehicle human-machine interface/systems.     

Automated vehicles and older drivers in Canada

Introduction: As seniors represent a growing proportion of the driving population, research about how automated vehicles can help improve older driver safety and mobility is highly relevant. This paper examines the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of older drivers towards limited self-driving vehicles (LSDVs), and how these variables can influence the likelihood that they will rely on this technology. Method: The study includes data from a previous national survey (N = 2662) about automated vehicle technology, with new analyses to test hypothetical models using structural equation modeling. Results of the first model were confirmed and built upon with a second more complex model that incorporated the construct “behavioral adaptation.” Focus groups with older drivers were also conducted (N = 38) to help reveal nuances in older drivers' knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors regarding this technology. Results: Survey results demonstrated that feelings of safety and knowledge about LSDVs are positively related to perceived ease of use and adoption of the technology. The positive association between safety and perceived ease of use was further highlighted when comparing responses of older drivers to those of younger age groups, as older drivers were significantly less likely to agree that LSDVs were easy to use and were significantly less agreeable about feeling safe using them. Focus groups results confirmed that safety and knowledge of LSDVs are essential to the likelihood of adopting this technology, and revealed a high receptivity among older drivers to educational strategies and tools to increase their knowledge of LSDVs. Implications for educational strategies and safety benefits for older drivers are discussed. Practical applications: Results provide insight into strategies to encourage the early adoption of automated vehicles by older drivers and facilitate a safer transition towards automated vehicles that is lead by a cohort of safety-conscious drivers.