Driven to distraction by in-car entertainment systems
28th September 2006
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Drivers may be dangerously distracted by entertainment display screens in other vehicles according to new research to be presented this week at the National Injury Prevention Conference at the University of New South Wales.
A UNSW research team will reveal that drivers who look at audio-visual displays brake slower than non-distracted drivers when confronted by pedestrians, drive slower than non-distracted drivers, and vary their in-lane vehicle position while cornering.
The researchers observed these effects among 28 licensed drivers exposed to audiovisual displays in adjacent vehicles under simulated driving conditions. All but one of the volunteer drivers who looked at an entertainment display in an adjacent vehicle admitted that their driving was at least impaired "a little".
"Australian law restricts the driving of a car with an operating visual display that is visible to a driver or likely to distract another driver," says the UNSW research team leader, Dr Julie Hatfield.
"Our findings are consistent with distraction research on the impacts of electronic billboards and mobile phones, which have potential to distract drivers and impair safe driving by diverting their attention from driving-relevant stimuli, such as hazards and pedestrians."
The study assessed the performance of licensed drivers who "drove" a car body that has functioning instruments while viewing a simulated visual scene projected onto three screens that provide the driver with a 135-degree field of view.
Drivers were assessed while performing on two simulated drives consisting of 6.5km of two-lane road in rural and urban settings. Driving performance was assessed in terms of average speed, variability in lane position, hazard detection and rate of deceleration.
The drivers were assessed under four conditions:
A UNSW research team will reveal that drivers who look at audio-visual displays brake slower than non-distracted drivers when confronted by pedestrians, drive slower than non-distracted drivers, and vary their in-lane vehicle position while cornering.
The researchers observed these effects among 28 licensed drivers exposed to audiovisual displays in adjacent vehicles under simulated driving conditions. All but one of the volunteer drivers who looked at an entertainment display in an adjacent vehicle admitted that their driving was at least impaired "a little".
"Australian law restricts the driving of a car with an operating visual display that is visible to a driver or likely to distract another driver," says the UNSW research team leader, Dr Julie Hatfield.
"Our findings are consistent with distraction research on the impacts of electronic billboards and mobile phones, which have potential to distract drivers and impair safe driving by diverting their attention from driving-relevant stimuli, such as hazards and pedestrians."
The study assessed the performance of licensed drivers who "drove" a car body that has functioning instruments while viewing a simulated visual scene projected onto three screens that provide the driver with a 135-degree field of view.
Drivers were assessed while performing on two simulated drives consisting of 6.5km of two-lane road in rural and urban settings. Driving performance was assessed in terms of average speed, variability in lane position, hazard detection and rate of deceleration.
The drivers were assessed under four conditions:
- Instructed to ignore the operating display (to mimic implicit real-world rules);
- Instructed to attend to the operating display (to test the effects of attention);
- No instruction regarding the operating display (to mimic the real-world situation);
- Display not operating (baseline).
Fore more information: Conference website
What: National Injury Prevention Conference
When:: 27-29 September, 2006
Where: The Scientia, UNSW
Media Contacts: Dr Julie Hatfield, 0425 356 484 or Dan Gaffney, 0411 156 015
Release issued: 28 September 2006
What: National Injury Prevention Conference
When:: 27-29 September, 2006
Where: The Scientia, UNSW
Media Contacts: Dr Julie Hatfield, 0425 356 484 or Dan Gaffney, 0411 156 015
Release issued: 28 September 2006
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