« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
EXTERNAL-TO-VEHICLE DRIVER DISTRACTION
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
1.1 Human Factors Analysts Ltd. (HFAL) was asked by the Scottish Executive Central Research Unit to conduct a literature review on the subject of external-to-vehicle driver Distraction in October 2002. It was written between 1 st December 2002 and 25 th March 2003. HFAL is an independent consultancy associated with the University of Strathclyde.
1.2 The subject of external-to-vehicle driver distraction is an important one. The urban environment is becoming increasingly complex, and increasingly filled with objects that may function as distractors, such as buildings, satellite dishes, vegetation, and displays and advertisements on buses, taxis, billboards and bus stops. Moreover, advertising (whether on billboards or in any other format) is becoming increasingly prevalent, noticeable and explicit, as advertisers try harder and harder to attract our attention. If it is true that external-to-vehicle driver distraction has a connection to accident rates, it is vitally important that the nature of the link is discovered, such that the appropriate countermeasures can be taken.
DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
1.3 This is a literature review of all available literature (that was procurable within the available time period) published in English in refereed academic journals between 1945 and the present. There were three levels of analysis. Firstly, research was carried out on the subject of driver distraction in general, considering statistical studies, experimental studies, qualitative studies and laboratory studies. This was not intended to be exhaustive but was merely an attempt to provide a broad overview of the subject.
1.4 Secondly, research was carried out on the subject of internal-to-vehicle driver distraction and its relation to external-to-vehicle driver distraction. The purpose of this was to discover the ratio of driver distraction: that is, whether external-to-vehicle driver distraction or internal-to-vehicle driver distraction posed the greater threat to road safety.
1.5 Finally a literature review was carried out specifically on the effects of billboards and signs as a distracter to drivers. It should be noted that this aspect of the research was intended to be exhaustive, in that an attempt was made to identify all the research pertaining to this subject that met the criteria in 1.3, above. Research that was not included in this report was either unobtainable, or else could not be obtained within the requisite time period.
METHODOLOGY
1.6 A number of 'user groups' were joined on the internet, and requests made for any information that might be useful in this context. On the basis of this, and from a search of the World Wide Web, names of relevant authorities were identified, who were then emailed and asked if they knew of any relevant information. At the same time, the academic databases available through the University of Strathclyde were searched. Finally a search was carried out on the World Wide Web for any relevant articles or papers. More details of the methodology used are contained in Annex Two.
STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT
1.7 Chapter Two begins with a discussion of research methodologies used in the field. Chapter Three carries on to give a general description of psychological theory relevant to this subject. These include the arousal theory of Hebb (1955), and the 'filter' theory of Broadbent (1958). These are discussed and evaluated. Then there is a discussion of contemporary psychological views of vision, perception and attention, and how these findings relate back to the Hebb's and Broadbent's theories. Other factors relating to distraction (such as age and fatigue) are mentioned.
1.8 Chapter Four contains descriptions of the main accident databases available for analysis, and results from the various studies that have been carried out using them. What these studies have to say about external-to-vehicle distraction and its relation to internal-to-vehicle distraction is examined. A 'case study' of mobile phone use and its relation to traffic accidents follows in Chapter Five.
1.9 There follows a general description of factors affecting external-to-vehicle distraction, and then (in Chapter Seven) a more specific discussion of the effects of billboards on traffic accidents. All available studies are discussed and evaluated. In Chapter Eight Conclusions are drawn and recommendations given.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
1.10 The aim of the report is to describe the existing literature relating to driver distraction. Specifically it is an attempt to show how large a problem the literature states that external-to-vehicle distraction is. The report concentrates on billboards and signs as a possible cause of external-to-vehicle driver distraction. If it was discovered that billboards and signs were a major contributory factor to road accidents this may have implications for policies and guidelines produced by the Scottish Executive and other governing bodies.
« Previous | Contents | Next »