title: Safety implications of providing real-time feedback to distracted drivers.
abstract: A driving simulator study was conducted to assess whether real-time feedback on a driver's state can influence the driver's interaction with in-vehicle information systems (IVIS). Previous studies have shown that IVIS tasks can undermine driver safety by increasing driver distraction. Thus, mitigating driver distraction using a feedback mechanism appears promising. This study was designed to test real-time feedback that alerts drivers based on their off-road eye glances. Feedback was displayed in two display locations (vehicle-centered, and IVIS-centered) to 16 young and 13 middle-aged drivers. Distraction was observed as problematic for both age groups with delayed responses to a lead vehicle-braking event as indicated by delayed accelerator releases. Significant benefits were not observed for braking and steering behavior for this experiment, but there was a significant change in drivers' interaction with IVIS. When given feedback on their distracted state, drivers looked at the in-vehicle display less frequently regardless of where feedback was displayed in the vehicle. This indicates that real-time feedback based on the driver state can positively alter driver's engagement in distracting activities, helping them attend better to the roadway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Iowa, IA 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Birsen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Donmez
authors.forename: Linda Ng
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005133:Eye Movements; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012449:Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception