The Impact of Distraction Mitigation Strategies on Driving Performance

OBJECTIVES An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of distraction mitigation strategies on drivers' performance and productivity while engaged in an in-vehicle information system task. BACKGROUND Previous studies show that in-vehicle tasks undermine driver safety and there is a need to mitigate driver distraction. METHOD An advising strategy that alerts drivers to potential dangers and a locking strategy that prevents the driver from continuing the distracting task were presented to 16 middle-aged and 12 older drivers in a driving simulator in two modes (auditory, visual) and two road conditions (curves, braking events). RESULTS Distraction was a problem for both age groups. Visual distractions were more detrimental than auditory ones for curve negotiation, as depicted by more erratic steering, F (6, 155) = 26.76, p < .05. Drivers did brake more abruptly under auditory distractions, but this effect was mitigated by both the advising, t (155) = 8.37, p < .05, and locking strategies, t (155) = 8.49, p < .05. The locking strategy also resulted in longer minimum time to collision for middle-aged drivers engaged in visual distractions, F (6, 138) = 2.43, p < .05. CONCLUSIONS Adaptive interfaces can reduce abrupt braking on curve entries resulting from auditory distractions and can also improve the braking response for distracted drivers. APPLICATION These strategies can be incorporated into existing in-vehicle systems, thus mitigating the effects of distraction and improving driver performance.