Using Driver Simulators to Measure the Impact of Distracted Driving on Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators

Tarr, Ronald W.; Gammoh, Diala T.; Totten, Eric P. · 2015 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology

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Summary

This study addresses the critical safety issue of distracted driving among commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators, aiming to quantify the specific dangers associated with handheld device usage. Motivated by gaps in existing literature and the limitations of crash data and naturalistic studies, the research sought to provide applied, controlled evidence of how distractions impair professional drivers. The study focused on two primary in-cab distractions identified through industry consultation: touchscreen audio (Mp3) players and cell phones, as well as external environmental distractions. The experimental design utilized a motion-based truck-driving simulator to ensure high immersion and minimize simulation adaptation syndrome. Participants were CDL holders with at least three years of experience, though most had over five years. The study employed eight scripted driving scenarios involving realistic traffic conditions, such as congestion and work zones, interspersed with distraction and relief segments. Data collection was multimodal, combining simulator performance metrics, video observation, and physiological measurements via electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG). This approach allowed researchers to measure both behavioral errors and cognitive workload simultaneously. The results demonstrated significant impairment across both performance and physiological measures. Performance data indicated that actively using a touchscreen Mp3 player caused the largest performance deficiencies. Lane deviation was the most frequent error, accounting for 71% of all observed errors, followed by speeding violations at 20%. Physiological data supported these findings, showing that both Mp3 players and cell phones increased cognitive workload and decreased attention levels, as evidenced by changes in EEG patterns. The study concluded that manipulating handheld touchscreen devices is the most impairing distraction, while combinations of devices and external events caused considerable distraction even among experienced professional drivers. The significance of this research lies in its validation of simulator-based methods for assessing distracted driving risks in a safe, controlled environment. The findings suggest that if professional drivers are significantly challenged by these distractions, the risks for the general driving population are likely comparable. The study implies that mitigating distracted driving requires a multifaceted approach including new training protocols, awareness campaigns, and active safety systems. Additionally, the project generated video testimonials from participants for public outreach, aiming to communicate the extreme risks of distracted driving to a broader audience.

Key finding

Actively using a touchscreen Mp3 player caused the largest performance deficiencies, with lane deviation representing 71 percent of total errors, while physiological data showed that both Mp3 players and cell phones increased workload and decreased attention.

Methodology

simulator

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• visual
• external distraction
• manual
• distraction detection algorithms
• simulator sickness
• visual manual

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data
• Methodological Resource: tool software, validation psychometrics