Route familiarity breeds inattention: a driving simulator study

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Traffic Safety
• Human Factors in Driving

Background:

• Inattention is a significant factor contributing to traffic accidents.
• Route familiarity is commonly assumed to improve driving, but this study investigates potential detriments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the counterintuitive effect of route familiarity on driving impairment.
• To explore the role of mind-wandering in driving performance on familiar routes.

Main Methods:

• Participants drove on familiar or unfamiliar routes, following a lead vehicle that braked unpredictably.
• Drivers also responded to the appearance of pedestrians.
• Experiments controlled for following distance and introduced attentional focus manipulations.

Main Results:

• Familiar drivers followed the lead vehicle more closely and reacted slower to pedestrians.
• Reaction times to both central and peripheral events were longer for familiar drivers.
• These impairments were eliminated when drivers were instructed to focus on the driving task.

Conclusions:

• Route familiarity can paradoxically impair driving safety by increasing mind-wandering.
• Attentional focus is crucial for mitigating the negative effects of familiarity on driving performance.
• Interventions promoting driver focus may enhance safety on familiar routes.