Effects of executive load on crashes and near-crashes for young versus older drivers.

With the increasing use of infotainment systems in vehicles, secondary tasks requiring executive demand may increase crash risk, especially for young drivers. Naturalistic driving data were examined to determine if secondary tasks with increasing executive demand would result in increasing crash risk. Data were extracted from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study, where vehicles were instrumented to record driving behavior and crash/near-crash data.

Evaluating driver eye glance behavior and secondary task engagement while using driving automation systems.

Partial driving automation systems are designed to assist drivers in some vehicle operation demands. However, modifications to the driving task that change the driver's role from that of an active participant to a passive supervisor could result in insufficient monitoring of the driving automation system and the surrounding environment. A reduced subset of driving data for 19 drivers from the Virginia Connected Corridors 50 Elite Naturalistic Driving Study was used to assess whether driver eye glance behavior and secondary task engagement were different when driver assistance systems were active compared to when they were available but inactive (n = 148).

Crash rates over time among younger and older drivers in the SHRP 2 naturalistic driving study.

Objective: To examine crash rates over time among 16-17-year-old drivers compared to older drivers.

Methods: Data were from a random sample of 854 of the 3,500 study participants in SHRP 2, a U.S.

Learner Driver Experience and Teenagers' Crash Risk During the First Year of Independent Driving.

Importance: One mechanism for teenagers' elevated crash risk during independent driving may be inadequate learner driving experience.

Objective: To determine how learner driver experience was associated with crash risk during the first year of independent driving.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Youth aged 15.

Multitasking additional-to-driving: Prevalence, structure, and associated risk in SHRP2 naturalistic driving data.

Objective: This paper 1) analyzes the extent to which drivers engage in multitasking additional-to-driving (MAD) under various conditions, 2) specifies odds ratios (ORs) of crashing associated with MAD, and 3) explores the structure of MAD.

Methods: Data from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study (SHRP2 NDS) was analyzed to quantify the prevalence of MAD in normal driving as well as in safety-critical events of various severity level and compute point estimates and confidence intervals for the corresponding odds ratios estimating the risk associated with MAD compared to no task engagement. Sensitivity analysis in which secondary tasks were re-defined by grouping similar tasks was performed to investigate the extent to which ORs are affected by the specific task definitions in SHRP2.

Kinematic risky driving behavior among younger and older drivers: Differences over time by age group and sex.

This research examined the incidence rates of elevated gravitational force events (kinematic risky driving, KRD) among 16- to 17-year-old drivers compared to those of 18- to 20-year-old, 21- to 25-year-old, and 35- to 55-year-old drivers over a 12-month period. Data were sampled from the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) naturalistic driving study that recruited a U.S.

Distracted Driving, Visual Inattention, and Crash Risk Among Teenage Drivers.

Introduction: Distracted driving resulting from secondary task engagement is a major contributing factor to teenage drivers' crash risk. This study aims to determine the extent to which visual inattention while engaging in distracting secondary tasks contributes to teenage drivers' crash risk.

Methods: Real-world driving data were collected from a cohort of 82 newly licensed teenagers (average age 16.

Crash Risk and Risky Driving Behavior Among Adolescents During Learner and Independent Driving Periods.

Purpose: Novice adolescents' crash rates are highly elevated early in licensure, despite substantial practicedriving during the learner period. The objectives of this study were to examine the variability in measures of driving risk among adolescents during the learner and early independent driving periods and evaluate how risk varies by driving experience, gender, time of day, and road surface conditions.

Methods: Objective driving data were collected in a naturalistic cohort study of 90 adolescent drivers with learner driving permit and 131 experienced adult drivers.

Vehicle ownership and other predictors of teenagers risky driving behavior: Evidence from a naturalistic driving study.

Objective: Risky driving behavior may contribute to the high crash risk among teenage drivers. The current naturalistic driving study assessed predictors for teenagers' kinematic risky driving (KRD) behavior and the interdependencies between them.

Method: The private vehicles of 81 novice teenage drivers were equipped with data acquisition system that recorded driving kinematics, miles driven, and video recordings of the driver, passengers and the driving environment.

A Bayesian finite mixture change-point model for assessing the risk of novice teenage drivers.

The driving risk during the initial period after licensure for novice teenage drivers is typically the highest but decreases rapidly right after. The change-point of driving risk is a critical parameter for evaluating teenage driving risk, which also varies substantially among drivers. This paper presents latent class recurrent-event change-point models for detecting the change-points.

Semiparametric Bayesian models for evaluating time-variant driving risk factors using naturalistic driving data and case-crossover approach.

Driver behavior is a major contributing factor for traffic crashes, a leading cause of death and injury in the United States. The naturalistic driving study (NDS) revolutionizes driver behavior research by using sophisticated nonintrusive in-vehicle instrumentation to continuously record driving data. This paper uses a case-crossover approach to evaluate driver-behavior risk.

Teens' distracted driving behavior: Prevalence and predictors.

Introduction: Teen drivers' over-involvement in crashes has been attributed to a variety of factors, including distracted driving. With the rapid development of in-vehicle systems and portable electronic devices, the burden associated with distracted driving is expected to increase. The current study identifies predictors of secondary task engagement among teenage drivers and provides basis for interventions to reduce distracted driving behavior.

Evaluation of risk change-point for novice teenage drivers.

The driving risk of novice teenagers is the highest during the initial period after licensure but decreases rapidly. This paper applies two recurrent-event change-point models to detect the time of change in driving risks. The models are based on a non-homogeneous Poisson process with piecewise constant intensity functions.

Changes over 12 months in eye glances during secondary task engagement among novice drivers.

During their first year of driving, crash rates among novice drivers are very high but decline rapidly. However, it is not clear what skills or knowledge they are acquiring in this period. Secondary task engagement while driving is a contributing factor to many traffic collisions and some of the elevated crash risk among novices could be explained by greater prevalence or longer periods of eyes off the road while engaging in these non-driving tasks.

The effects of age on crash risk associated with driver distraction.

Background: Driver distraction is a major contributing factor to crashes, which are the leading cause of death for the US population under 35 years of age. The prevalence of secondary-task engagement and its impacts on distraction and crashes may vary substantially by driver age.

Methods: Driving performance and behaviour data were collected continuously using multiple cameras and sensors in situ for 3542 participant drivers recruited for up to 3 years for the Second Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study.

Conscientious personality and young drivers' crash risk.

Introduction: Personality characteristics are associated with many risk behaviors. However, the relationship between personality traits, risky driving behavior, and crash risk is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between personality, risky driving behavior, and crashes and near-crashes, using naturalistic driving research methods.

Naturalistic teenage driving study: Findings and lessons learned.

Introduction: This paper summarizes the findings on novice teenage driving outcomes (e.g., crashes and risky driving behaviors) from the Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study.

The Effect of Secondary Task Engagement on Adolescents' Driving Performance and Crash Risk.

Purpose: The purpose of this review was to synthesize the evidence of the effects of secondary task engagement on novice adolescent's driving performance and crash risk.

Methods: Searches of multiple databases were conducted using search terms related to secondary task engagement and teenage drivers. Articles were selected for inclusion if they were: written in English, an empirical study assessing the impact of secondary task engagement on driving, and included study participants who were licensed drivers between the ages of 14 and 17 years (if research was conducted in the United States) or within 18 months licensure in other countries.

Relationship of Near-Crash/Crash Risk to Time Spent on a Cell Phone While Driving.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine in a naturalistic driving setting the dose-response relationship between cell phone usage while driving and risk of a crash or near crash. How is the increasing use of cell phones by drivers associated with overall near-crash/crash risk (i.e.

Secondary Behavior of Drivers on Cell Phones.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine whether cell phone use by drivers leads to changes in the frequency of other types of potentially distracting behavior. There were 2 main questions of interest: (1) As each driver changes cell phone use, does he or she change the amount of driving time spent on other distracting behavior? (2) As each driver changes cell phone use, does he or she change the amount of driving time spent looking away from the driving task?

Methods: Day-to-day driving behavior of 105 volunteer subjects was monitored over a period of 1 year. The amount of driving time during each trip spent on tasks secondary to driving (or looking away from the driving task) was correlated to the amount of time on a cell phone, taking into account the relationships among trips taken by the same driver.

Teen Drivers' Perceptions of Their Peer Passengers: Qualitative Study.

Background: The presence of peer passengers increases teenage drivers' fatal crash risk. Distraction and social influence are the two main factors that have been associated with increased risk. Teen drivers' perceptions of their peer passengers on these factors could inform our understanding of the conditions under which peer passengers increase crash risk or promote safer driving.

Keep your eyes on the road: young driver crash risk increases according to duration of distraction.

Purpose: Secondary task engagement that distracts the driver is a contributing factor to motor vehicle crashes among adults. However, the association between eye glance duration and crash risk with novice teenage drivers has not been determined.

Methods: Vehicles of 42 newly licensed teenage drivers were instrumented with cameras, accelerometers, Global Positioning System(s) (GPS), and other devices.

The association between kinematic risky driving among parents and their teenage children: moderation by shared personality characteristics.

This study examined the driving behavior of 42 parent-teenager dyads for 18 months, under naturalistic driving conditions. At baseline participants' personality characteristics were assessed. Objective risky driving measures (kinematic risky driving) were captured by accelerometers for the duration of the study.

Higher crash and near-crash rates in teenaged drivers with lower cortisol response: an 18-month longitudinal, naturalistic study.

Importance: Road traffic crashes are one of the leading causes of injury and death among teenagers worldwide. Better understanding of the individual pathways to driving risk may lead to better-targeted intervention in this vulnerable group.

Objective: To examine the relationship between cortisol, a neurobiological marker of stress regulation linked to risky behavior, and driving risk.