Driver distraction and in-vehicle interventions: A driving simulator study on visual attention and driving...

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Traffic Safety Research
• Automotive Engineering

Background:

• Driving simulator studies are crucial for controlled investigation of driver behavior and safety-critical events.
• Driver distraction, particularly from mobile phone use, is a major global safety concern.
• The i-DREAMS project aims to enhance driver safety through advanced driver assistance systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of mobile phone distraction (texting) on driver behavior in a simulated environment.
• To analyze driver responses to risky traffic events under normal, intervention, and distraction scenarios.
• To examine attention allocation and eye movement patterns during distracted driving using eye-tracking.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a car driving simulator experimental design in Germany with 58 participants.
• Implemented three scenarios: normal monitoring, fixed-timing intervention, and distraction-based intervention.
• Employed eye-tracking glasses to record gaze patterns and analyzed driving performance measures.

Main Results:

• Distracted driving significantly altered drivers' gaze patterns, with increased attention towards the i-DREAMS intervention display.
• Driving performance showed notable changes: higher lateral positioning deviation and lower longitudinal acceleration rates.
• These effects were observed irrespective of event risk levels, indicating a general impact of distraction.

Conclusions:

• Mobile phone distraction demonstrably affects driver attention allocation and driving performance.
• Advanced driver assistance systems (like the i-DREAMS display) can capture driver attention during distraction.
• Findings highlight the critical need for strategies to mitigate distraction risks in driving.