Mindfulness Predicts Driver Engagement in Distracting Activities

Young, Kristie L.; Koppel, Sjaan; Stephens, Amanda N.; Osborne, Rachel; Chambers, Richard; Hassed, Craig · 2018 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/s12671-018-1060-7

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Summary

This study investigates whether mindfulness, defined as attention to and awareness of the present moment, predicts driver engagement in a broad spectrum of distracting activities. While distracted driving is a major public health concern linked to significant injury and mortality, previous research has largely focused on text messaging. The authors sought to determine if the negative association between mindfulness and texting generalizes to other distraction sources, including in-vehicle technology, non-technology-based activities, daydreaming, and external distractions. Understanding these psychological predictors is critical for developing effective interventions to mitigate risky driving behaviors. The researchers conducted an online survey between March and June 2017, recruiting 312 adult drivers who held valid licenses and drove at least two to three times per week. Participants completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) to assess trait mindfulness and reported the frequency of engagement in 24 specific distracting activities using a five-point Likert scale. These activities were categorized into sub-scales such as mobile phone use, other technology, non-technology distractions, and passenger interaction. Data analysis involved Pearson’s correlations and multiple linear and logistic regression models, controlling for age, gender, and driving frequency to isolate the predictive power of mindfulness. The results indicated that engagement in distracting activities is common among drivers. Mindfulness was significantly and negatively associated with the frequency of engagement in all studied distraction sources, with the exception of passenger interaction. Specifically, higher mindfulness scores predicted lower frequencies of talking and texting on mobile phones, using other in-vehicle technology, engaging in non-technology distractions like eating, and interacting with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. Logistic regression further revealed that higher mindfulness significantly reduced the likelihood of becoming "lost in thought" (daydreaming) and being distracted by events outside the vehicle. For each one-point increase in mindfulness, the odds of being lost in thought decreased by 85%, and the odds of external distraction decreased by 68%. Age and driving frequency also negatively predicted some technology-based distractions, but mindfulness remained a significant independent predictor. The findings suggest that mindfulness is a robust psychological factor influencing a wide range of distracted driving behaviors, not just text messaging. This implies that a single mindfulness intervention could effectively reduce engagement in multiple distracting activities simultaneously, offering a practical and efficient strategy for road safety improvement. The study highlights that while mindfulness helps drivers resist voluntary distractions, it may not influence interactions with passengers, particularly children, which may be less ignorable or predictable. The authors conclude that promoting mindful attention and awareness could serve as a valuable preventative measure against distracted driving, though further research is needed to determine the most effective training methods and to explore how mindfulness affects attention distribution during active distraction.

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Topics

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• cognitive
• mind wandering
• visual
• distraction detection algorithms
• temporal
• external distraction

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model, conceptual framework