Effects of Mobile Phone Distraction on Drivers’ Reaction Times
| Autor: | Md Mazharul Haque, Simon Washington |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Road Safety, Vol 24, Iss 3 (2013) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 2652-4252 2652-4260 |
| Popis: | Distraction resulting from mobile phone use whilst driving has been shown to increase the reaction times of drivers, thereby increasing the likelihood of a crash. This study compares the effects of mobile phone conversations on reaction times of drivers responding to traffic events that occur at different points in a driver’s field of view. The CARRS-Q Advanced Driving Simulator was used to test a group of young drivers on various simulated driving tasks including a traffic event that occurred within the driver’s central vision - a lead vehicle braking suddenly; and an event that occurred within the driver’s peripheral vision - a pedestrian entering a zebra crossing from a footpath. Thirty-two licenced drivers drove the simulator in three phone conditions: baseline (no phone conversation), and while engaged in hands-free and handheld phone conversations. The drivers were aged between 21 to 26 years and split evenly by gender. Differences in reaction times for an event in a driver’s central vision were not statistically significant across phone conditions, probably due to a lower speed selection by the distracted drivers. In contrast, the reaction times to detect an event that originated in a distracted driver’s peripheral vision were more than 50% longer compared to the baseline condition. A further statistical analysis revealed that deterioration of reaction times to an event in the peripheral vision was greatest for distracted drivers holding a provisional licence. Many critical events originate in a driver’s periphery, including vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians emerging from side streets. A reduction in the ability to detect these events while distracted presents a significant safety concern that must be addressed. |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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