Driver Distraction: A Naturalistic Observation of Secondary Behaviors With the Use of Driver Assistance Systems

Sayer, James R; Mefford, Mary Lynn; Shirkey, Kezia; Lantz, Jessica · 2005 · Crossref

DOI: 10.17077/drivingassessment.1169

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Summary

This study investigates whether the availability of driver assistance systems promotes driver distraction or secondary behaviors, addressing concerns that such technologies might lead to lapses in attention or risk compensation. The research was conducted as part of the Automotive Collision Avoidance System Field Operational Test (ACAS FOT), a naturalistic driving study involving 66 licensed drivers in Southeastern Michigan. Participants drove instrumented vehicles equipped with Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) systems for approximately four weeks. The experimental design included a one-week baseline period with no assistance systems, followed by a three-week treatment period where both systems were available. The methodology involved analyzing video data collected every five minutes during driving sessions at speeds of 25 mph or higher. Researchers randomly sampled 5% of these clips, resulting in 890 four-second video exposures of the driver’s face and forward scene. These clips were coded for secondary, non-driving behaviors, including cell phone use, grooming, eating, drinking, smoking, and conversations with passengers. The analysis compared behavior frequencies across manual driving, FCW-enabled driving, conventional cruise control (CCC), and ACC engagement. The results indicated that drivers were no more likely to engage in secondary behaviors when using ACC and FCW compared to manual control. Secondary behaviors occurred in approximately 19% of clips during manual driving, FCW use, and ACC engagement. While ACC engagement showed a statistically significant increase in secondary behaviors compared to the sparse CCC data (20% vs. 7%), this difference was largely driven by an increase in passenger conversations. The authors hypothesize that this rise in conversation was due to the novelty of the systems and drivers’ desire to explain the technology to passengers, rather than a fundamental change in driving habits. Other behaviors, such as cell phone use and grooming, remained consistent across conditions. The study concludes that, within the duration of exposure examined, driver assistance systems do not promote increased distraction or secondary tasking beyond baseline levels. These findings counter the common concern that such systems lead to attentional lapses or modified risk perception. The authors suggest that the observed increase in conversation may diminish as these systems become more common and less novel. The significance of this work lies in providing the first naturalistic driving data examining secondary behaviors in conjunction with driver assistance systems, offering empirical evidence that these technologies do not inherently compromise driver attention through increased distraction.

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Topics

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• temporal
• distraction detection algorithms
• manual
• visual
• visual manual
• external distraction

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, behavioral performance data
• Methodological Resource: dataset resource