Citation

Driver Educ. 2000; 10(2): 6-7.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, PDE Publications)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

Cell phones were the hot topic at the recent Internet conference on distracting technologies in automobiles, sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Many viewpoints were strongly in favor of attempting to control in-car distractions from the new information technologies by passing tough laws against them. Other comments expressed about how impractical this might be, given the propensity of some individuals to ignore the law when it suits them, and also the huge problem it would be to effectively enforce such laws. From the expert participants, a recurrent theme was the extent to which information technology in an automobile has the potential to aggressively draw a driver's attention away from the task of driving. A suspicion exists in research circles that some technologies may be just too seductive for the average driver to effectively maintain surveillance over the driving environment. We know that drivers can divide their attention with reasonable effectiveness, because they have to do it all the time. What we do not know is the extent to which it compromises safety, the extent to which individual differences are a factor, and the extent to which training and education might contribute to improving driver efficiency in this regard. A trained, well-educated driver, who is well-versed in communication and driving tactics, should be much less likely to succumb to the seduction of distracting technologies.

Keywords: Driver distraction;

Language: en