Dr. David Strayer and a research team at the University of Utah conducted the Cognitive Distraction Experiment by analyzing brainwaves, eye movement, and other tendencies in a simulation designed to measure what happens to drivers’ mental workload when they attempt to multitask behind the steering wheel. There three main objectives for the experiment were:
1. Isolate the cognitive elements of distracted driving
2. Evaluate the amount of mental workload imposed on drivers by various tasks performed behind the wheel
3. Create a rating system that organizes potentially distracting tasks according to the amount of cognitive burden
In assessing driving performance using the simulator, researchers found that drivers using voice-activated dialing systems were just as distracted as those eating a cheeseburger. (Click Here to learn more about food related distractions). In another simulated test, researchers found that participants using the hands-free application to speak on cell phones had reduced memory abilities in recognizing billboards they’d passed in the course of the test. Drivers failed to visually process what their eyes were looking directly at; this phenomenon was defined as inattention-blindness, also known as tunnel vision. They determined that manual distractions such as operating electronic devices and adjusting controls were most common behaviors exhibited by teenaged drivers. It was also founded that auditory/vocal tasks affect visual behaviors such as reducing glances at to side and rear view mirrors while visual/manual tasks increased miss rates of important cues such as brake lights and stop signals. (For more details, Click Here)
1. Isolate the cognitive elements of distracted driving
2. Evaluate the amount of mental workload imposed on drivers by various tasks performed behind the wheel
3. Create a rating system that organizes potentially distracting tasks according to the amount of cognitive burden
In assessing driving performance using the simulator, researchers found that drivers using voice-activated dialing systems were just as distracted as those eating a cheeseburger. (Click Here to learn more about food related distractions). In another simulated test, researchers found that participants using the hands-free application to speak on cell phones had reduced memory abilities in recognizing billboards they’d passed in the course of the test. Drivers failed to visually process what their eyes were looking directly at; this phenomenon was defined as inattention-blindness, also known as tunnel vision. They determined that manual distractions such as operating electronic devices and adjusting controls were most common behaviors exhibited by teenaged drivers. It was also founded that auditory/vocal tasks affect visual behaviors such as reducing glances at to side and rear view mirrors while visual/manual tasks increased miss rates of important cues such as brake lights and stop signals. (For more details, Click Here)
AAA. (2013, June 10). Cognitive Distraction: Something to Think About. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Cognitive-Distraction_AAAFTS-Research-Compendium.pdf