@article{ref1,
title="The effect of driving demands on distraction engagement and glance behaviors: results from naturalistic data",
journal="Safety science",
year="2021",
author="Risteska, Martina and Kanaan, Dina and Donmez, Birsen and Winnie Chen, Huei-Yen",
volume="136",
number="",
pages="e105123-e105123",
abstract="OBJECTIVE To understand drivers' engagement in distractions and their visual attention allocation under different driving demands. <br><br>BACKGROUND: Although distraction increases crash risk, drivers engage in distractions frequently with no negative consequences, likely in part due to their self-regulating behaviors. Prior research revealed a variety of self-regulating behaviors specifically related to cell-phone engagement, but very limited research has investigated whether and how driving demands affect engagement in distractions in general, particularly within a natural setting rather than in the simulator. <br><br>METHOD: We used the Naturalistic Engagement in Secondary Tasks (NEST) dataset, a subset of SHRP2 data, to analyze secondary task engagement and off-path (not in direction of travel) eye glances. In addition to assessing their relation to environmental demand, we also considered driver age and chosen speed. <br><br>RESULTS: Higher visual difficulty environments (characterized as visually complex and/or with low visibility) were associated with a decreased likelihood of secondary task engagement as well as a decrease in off-path glances, particularly longer ones (>2s). Drivers 35 and older had lower rates of off-path glances compared to younger drivers. An increase in speed was associated with a decrease in the likelihood of task engagement in higher motor control difficulty environments (characterized as poor surface condition and/or curved road) but not in lower ones. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Drivers appear to modulate their task engagement and off-path glances based on driving demands. However, given that inopportune short off-path glances can lead to crashes, interventions are still needed to help drivers better modulate their distraction engagement.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0925-7535",
doi="10.1016/j.ssci.2020.105123",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.105123"
}