Risk factors of mobile phone use while driving in Queensland: Prevalence, attitudes, crash risk perception, and task-management strategies

Distracted on duty: A theory-based exploration of influences leading to mobile phone distracted riding among food delivery workers

Using mobile phones while riding is a form of distracted riding that significantly elevates crash risk. Regrettably, the factors contributing to mobile phone use while riding (MPUWR) among food delivery riders remain under-researched. Addressing this literature gap, the current study employs the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and various socio-economic factors to examine the determinants of MPUWR. The research incorporates data from 558 delivery workers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The study utilizes two analytical methods to empirically test the hypotheses, considering non-linear relationships between variables: Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The results reveal mixed impacts of factors connected to job resources. Although social support appears to deter MPUWR, work autonomy and rewards seemingly encourage it. Furthermore, a predisposition towards risk-taking behaviour significantly impacts the frequency of mobile phone usage among delivery riders. Interestingly, riders with higher incomes and those who have previously been fined by the police exhibit more frequent mobile phone use. The findings of this study present valuable insights into the crucial factors to be addressed when designing interventions aimed at reducing phone use among food delivery riders.

Assessing the prevailing driver seatbelt compliance at Madina Zongo junction in Accra, Ghana: An observational study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the prevailing driver seatbelt compliance at the Madina Zongo junction in Accra, Ghana.

METHODS

An unobtrusive observational survey was conducted from 6 to 8 am and 5 to 7 pm on weekdays at randomly designated locations near the junction. A total of 3,054 vehicles were observed throughout the observation period. The data collected were analyzed with SPSS version 26. Cross-tabulations and Pearson's Chi-square test were employed for thorough analysis.

RESULTS

The study revealed an overall seatbelt compliance rate of slightly over half (54.1%) among drivers, with the following breakdowns in various vehicle categories: large buses (76.2%), medium buses (98.1%), minibuses (44.0%), private cars (70.5%), taxi/uber (53.0%), and trucks (41.1%). Notably, seatbelt compliance was higher among females at 98.4%, compared to males at 49.2%. The study also identified a correlation between driver's gender and vehicle type with seatbelt compliance. Conversely, no significant association was found between seatbelt compliance and either the time of day or day of the week.

CONCLUSIONS

The study offers significant findings regarding seatbelt usage trends at the Madina Zongo junction in Accra. These insights provide a basis for recommending targeted interventions such as policy decisions, public health campaigns, communication strategies, better enforcement, and road safety training programs. These interventions aim to raise awareness of unsafe attitudes and behaviors among drivers to improve seatbelt compliance and ultimately enhance road safety for all road users.

Different types of mobile phone use while driving and influencing factors on intention and behavior: Insights from an expanded theory of planned behavior

Mobile phone use while driving (MPUWD) is a significant concern due to its negative impact on road safety. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess different types of MPUWD and identify factors influencing intention and behavior among drivers in Zahedan. A total of 392 participants provided information on demographic and driving characteristics, as well as constructs derived from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) augmented with moral norms. Findings revealed that a majority of drivers (86.4%) engaged in MPUWD, primarily involving calling, using applications, and texting. However, most participants did not intend to use their phones while driving in the following week. Multiple regression analysis identified age, receiving driving fines, subjective norm, and perceived behavior control as significant predictors of intention for MPUWD. Additionally, factors such as age, receiving driving fines, driving hours, car gearbox type, attitude, perceived behavior control, behavioral intention, and moral norm were significant predictors of actual MPUWD. Older participants demonstrated better behavior in various mobile phone activities while driving. Overall, the study emphasized that the main TPB constructs and moral norms have a greater influence compared to other variables in predicting MPUWD. Perceived behavioral control was the most important predictor of the intention and behavior of MPUWD. Understanding these factors can guide efforts to discourage MPUWD through targeted interventions and strategies to promote safer driving practices.

Individual differences, ADHD diagnosis, and driving performance: effects of traffic density and distraction type

The present study examined the impact of individual differences, attention, and memory deficits on distracted driving. Drivers with ADHD are more susceptible to distraction which results in more frequent collisions, violations, and licence suspensions. Consequently, the present investigation had 36 participants complete preliminary questionnaires, memory tasks, workload indices, and four, 4-min simulated driving scenarios to evaluate such impact. It was hypothesised ADHD diagnosis, type of cellular distraction, and traffic density would each differentially and substantively impact driving performance. Results indicated traffic density and distraction type significantly affected the objective driving facets measured, as well as subjective and secondary task performance. ADHD diagnosis directly impacted secondary task performance. Results further showed significant interactions between distraction type and traffic density on both brake pressure and steering wheel angle negatively impacting lateral and horizontal vehicle control. Altogether, these findings provide substantial empirical evidence for the deleterious effect of cellphone use on driving performance.Practitioner summary: This study examined how ADHD diagnosis, traffic density, and distraction type affect driver behaviour. Participants completed driving behaviour questionnaires, memory tasks, workload indices, and driving scenarios. Results showed that ADHD diagnosis impacted secondary task performance, while traffic and distractions significantly impacted driving performance as well secondary task performance and workload.

"It's okay because I'm just driving": an exploration of self-reported mobile phone use among Mexican drivers

Introduction

Technological advancements have the potential to enhance people's quality of life, but their misuse can have a detrimental impact on safety. A notable example is the escalating issue of distracted driving resulting from the use of mobile phones behind the wheel, leading to severe crashes and injuries. Despite these concerns, both drivers' usage patterns and their risk-related associations remain scarcely documented in Mexico. Therefore, this descriptive study aimed to examine the mobile phone usage of Mexican drivers, its relationships to risk awareness and near-miss/crash involvement, and the self-reported underlying reasons for this behavior.

Methods

This cross-sectional study utilized a sample of 1,353 licensed Mexican drivers who took part in a nationwide series of interviews regarding their onboard phone use settings.

Results

A significant percentage of drivers (96.8%) recognize using a mobile phone while driving as high-risk behavior. However, only 7.4% reported completely avoiding its use while driving, with 22.4% identified as high-frequency users. Frequency was also found positively associated with the self-reported rate of near-misses and crashes. Furthermore, qualitative data analysis highlights the emergence of a 'sense of urgency' to attend to phone-related tasks in response to daily demands and life dynamics, offering a potential explanation for this behavior.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest common patterns of onboard mobile use among Mexican drivers concerning driving situations and associated risks. This underscores the need for increased efforts to discourage onboard phone use in the country.

The monitoring requests on young driver's fatigue and take-over performance in prolonged conditional automated driving

INTRODUCTION

L3 automated vehicles can perform all dynamic driving tasks unless a take-over occurs due to operational limits. This issue is potentially important for young drivers who are vulnerable road users since they have skill deficits and easily evolve into aberrant driving. However, drivers lacking active involvement may be fatigued and drowsy. Previous research indicated that performing a voluntary non-driving-related task (NDRT) could keep drivers alert, but there was no difference in take-over performance with or without NDRT. Providing a monitoring request (MR) before a possible take-over request (TOR) exhibited better take-over performance in temporary automated driving. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the effects of MR and voluntary NDRT on young drivers' fatigue and performance.

METHOD

Twenty-five young drivers experienced 60 min automated driving on a highway with low traffic density and a TOR prompted due to a collision event. A within-subjects was designed that comprised three conditions: NONE, TOR-only, and MR + TOR. Drivers were allowed to perform a self-paced phone NDRT during automated driving.

RESULTS

The PERCLOS and blink frequency data showed that playing phones could keep drivers vigilant. The take-over performance on whether taking phone had no difference, but with MRs condition exhibited better take-over performance including the shorter reaction time and the longer TTC. Subjective evaluations also showed the advantages of MRs with more safety, trust, acceptance, and lower workload.

CONCLUSIONS

Taking MRs had a positive effect on relieving fatigue and improving take-over performance. Furthermore, MRs could potentially improve the safety and acceptance of automated driving.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The MR design can be used in the automotive industry to ensure the safest interfaces between fatigue drivers and automation systems.

Evaluation of the visual-manual resources required to perform calling and navigation tasks in conventional mode with a portable phone and in full- touch mode with an embedded system

This study investigates the differences in a driver's visual-manual behaviour when performing secondary tasks while driving under the full-touch mode (FTM) and the conventional mode (CM). To this end, 30 participants were recruited to perform secondary tasks while driving two vehicles equipped with different HMI system interaction modes. The results show that compared to the CM, in the FTM, fewer visual-manual resources are required to perform the calling task, but for the navigation task, this requirement is higher. Additionally, in both modes, the driver exhibited self-regulation visual-manual behaviour when performing secondary tasks as the driving speed increased. However, the effect of the driving speed on visual-manual behaviour was greater in the FTM than in the CM. The main limitation of this study is that the effect of the difference between the two experimental vehicles on the findings was not considered, however, this does not affect the generalisation of the findings. Practitioner summary: Potential applications of this study include improving drivers' knowledge about the effect of performing secondary tasks in different modes on driving safety, and this study also provides useful insights human-machine co-driving systems to develop user-friendly control strategies and for automotive companies to improve the full-touch interactive mode for automotive companies.

Community narratives on Facebook regarding mobile phone use while driving and road policing technologies

Objective: Mobile phone use while driving is a major cause of distraction and area for concern. Numerous factors have been shown to be associated with engagement in mobile phone use while driving, including peer influences and social media content encouraging the behavior. Phone detection cameras are being increasingly utilized to enforce the hand-held mobile phone use while driving ban in Australia, yet this has been accompanied by an emergence of camera location pages on social media platforms such as Facebook. Research is clearly needed to explore the nature and extent of this online content, since such information can be used to counteract any negative effects on enforcement.Methods: Accordingly, this exploratory study analyzed content on Facebook pertaining to mobile phone use while driving, enforcement of the behavior and legal penalties associated with the behavior.Results: A total of 167 public Facebook posts shared within Australia in January to October 2021 were examined. Overall, it was found that: (a) a large proportion (74%) of posts focused on the location of mobile phone cameras, (b) whilst most discussions centered around discouraging mobile phone use while driving, a large number also aimed to facilitate avoiding detection for the behavior. Finally, very few posts/comments acknowledged the risks associated with the behavior, including the risk of being caught.Conclusions: This research provides preliminary evidence that social media platforms appear to provide an avenue to reduce the likelihood of apprehension. Avenues for future research are discussed.

Modelling braking behaviour of distracted young drivers in car-following interactions: A grouped random parameters duration model with heterogeneity-in-means

Braking is an important characteristic of driving behaviour that has a direct relationship with rear-end collisions in a car-following task. Braking becomes more crucial when drivers' cognitive workload increases because of using mobile phones whilst driving. This study, therefore, investigates and compares the effects of using mobile phones whilst driving on braking behaviour. Thirty-two young licenced drivers, evenly split by gender, faced a safety-critical event, that is, leader's hard braking, in a car-following situation. Each participant drove the CARRS-Q Advanced Driving Simulator and was required to respond to a braking event in the simulated environment in three phone conditions: baseline (no phone conversation), handheld, and hands-free. A random parameters duration modelling approach is employed to (i) model drivers' braking (or deceleration) times using a parametric survival model, (ii) capture unobserved heterogeneity associated with braking times, and (iii) account for repeated experiment design. The model identifies the handheld phone condition as a random parameter whilst vehicle dynamics variables, hands-free phone condition, and driver-specific variables are found as fixed parameters. The model suggests that most distracted drivers (in the handheld condition) reduce their initial speeds more slowly than undistracted drivers, reflecting their delayed initial braking that may lead to abrupt braking to avoid a rear-end collision. Further, another group of distracted drivers exhibits faster braking (in the handheld condition), recognising the risk associated with mobile phone usage and delayed initial braking. Provisional licence holders are found to be slower in reducing their initial speeds than open licence holders, indicating their risk-taking behaviour because of their less experience and more sensitivity to mobile phone distraction. Overall, mobile phone distraction appears to impair the braking behaviour of young drivers, which poses significant safety concerns for traffic streams.

A hierarchical cluster analysis of young drivers based on their perceived risk and frequency of texting while driving

INTRODUCTION

The present study attempted to provide a proof-of-concept of usefulness of cluster analysis for identifying distinct and practically meaningful subgroups of drivers who differed in their perceived risk and frequency of texting while driving (TWD).

METHOD

Using a hierarchical cluster analysis, which involves sequential steps in which individual cases are merged together one at a time based on their similarities, the study first attempted to identify distinct subgroups of drivers who differed in their perceived risk and frequency of TWD. To further evaluate the meaningfulness of the subgroups identified, the subgroups were compared in terms of levels of trait impulsivity and impulsive decision making for each gender.

RESULTS

The study identified the following three distinct subgroups: (a) drivers who perceive TWD as risky but frequently engage in TWD; (b) drivers who perceive TWD as risky and infrequently engage in TWD; and (c) drivers who perceive TWD as not so risky and frequently engage in TWD. The subgroup of male, but not female, drivers who perceive TWD as risky but frequently engage in TWD showed significantly higher levels of trait impulsivity, but not impulsive decision making, than the other two subgroups.

DISCUSSION

This is the first demonstration that drivers who frequently engage in TWD can be categorized into two distinct subgroups that differ in terms of the perceived risk of TWD.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

For drivers who perceived TWD as risky yet frequently engage in TWD, the present study suggests that different intervention strategies may be needed for each gender.

Persistent effects of mobile phone conversation while driving after disconnect: Physiological evidence and driving performance

Cognitive workload has been known as a key factor in traffic accidents, which can be highly increased by talking on the phone while driving. A wide range of studies around the world investigated the effects of mobile phone conversations on driving performance and traffic accidents. But less noticed is the durability of cognitive effects of mobile phone conversations. This study aimed to determine the effects of different types of mobile phone conversations on physiological response and driving performance during and after the conversation. Heart rate, heart rate variability (physiological response), Standard deviation of lane position (SDLP), and the relative distance between two cars (driving performance) of 34 samples (male and female) in the driving simulator were recorded. In this study, three types of conversations (neutral, cognitive, and arousal) were used. Neutral conversation did not pursue specific purpose questions. Cognitive conversations were simple mathematical problem-solving questions and arousal conversations aimed at arousing participant emotions. Each conversation was used as a secondary task in a condition. The study had three conditions; in each condition the participant drove for 15 min. Each condition consisted of 5 min of driving (Background), 5 min of driving and conversation (dual tasks) and 5 min of driving after conversation to trace the effects of the conversation. Vehicle speed was 110 km/h in each of the three conditions using car-following scenario. The results showed that neutral conversations had no significant effects on physiological response. Though, arousal conversations had significant effects on physiological responsiveness and driving performance during conversations, where it was even more significant after disconnection. Therefore, the content of the conversation determines the amount of cognitive load imposed on the driver. Considering the persistence of cognitive effects caused by conversation, the risk of traffic accidents is still high even after disconnection.

"It is a different type of policing than in the bush": Police officers' perceptions of the differences in enforcement of the phone use while driving legislation in rural and urban areas

Mobile phone use while driving continues to be a significant road safety concern, despite the severe legal countermeasures to reduce this behaviour. Phone use while driving-related crashes have been demonstrated to be an issue in rural areas, yet research into the impact of legal sanctions on phone use while driving has primarily focussed on urban areas. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate differences in enforcement of phone use while driving between rural and urban environments as reported by police officers. In addition, to provide necessary context, this study aimed to explore how the police officers perceive differences in drivers' engagement in phone use while driving between rural and urban environments. To address these aims, a total of 26 police officers from Queensland, Australia (18 with both rural and urban experience, 6 with only rural experience and 2 with only urban experience) completed an interview. A total of seven themes were developed from the data. Several differences between rural and urban environments were identified concerning different types of phone offending behaviour, as well as different resources, management and infrastructure that can impact police enforcement. For example, it was suggested that drivers in rural areas have less reasons to use their phone while driving. Nevertheless, when this behaviour does occur, it is more challenging to enforce this law in rural compared to urban environments. The results not only provide important contextual information for phone use while driving research, but also suggest that enforcement strategies for this behaviour may need to be recontextualised to incorporate the more nuanced aspects of rural policing.

Sharing roads with automated vehicles: A questionnaire investigation from drivers', cyclists' and pedestrians' perspectives

Despite the promised benefits, the introduction of Automated Vehicles (AVs) on roads will be confronted by many challenges, including public readiness to use those vehicles and share the roads with them. The risk profile of road users is a key determinant of their safety on roads. However, the relation of such risk profiles to road users' perception of AVs is less known. This study aims to address the above research gap by conducting a cross-sectional survey to investigate the acceptance of Fully Automated Vehicles (FAVs) among different non-AV-user groups (i.e., pedestrians, cyclists, and conventional vehicle drivers). A total of 1205 road users in Queensland (Australia) took part in the study, comprising 456 pedestrians, 339 cyclists, and 410 drivers. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is used as the theoretical model to examine road users' intention towards sharing roads with FAVs. The risk profile of the participants derives from established behavioural scales and individual characteristics are also included in the acceptance model. The study results show that pedestrians reported lowest intention in terms of sharing roads with FAVs among the three groups. Drivers and cyclists in a lower risk profile group were more likely to report higher intention to share roads with FAVs than those in a higher risk profile group. As age increased, pedestrians were less likely to accept sharing roads with FAVs. Drivers who had more exposure time on roads were more likely to accept sharing roads with FAVs. Male drivers reported higher intention towards sharing roads than female drivers. Overall, the study provides new insights into public perceptions of FAVs, specifically from the non-AV-user perspective. It sheds light on the obstacles that future AVs may encounter and the types of road users that AV manufacturers and policymakers should consider closely. Specifically, groups such as older pedestrians and road users who engage in more risky behaviours might resist or delay the integration of AVs.

On the impact of advanced driver assistance systems on driving distraction and risky behaviour: An empirical analysis of irish commercial drivers

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) present promising benefits in mitigating road collisions. However, these benefits are limited when risky drivers continue engaging in distraction events. While there is evidence that real-time warnings help improve driving behaviour, the sustained benefits of warning-based ADAS on reducing driving distraction in light commercial vehicle (LCV) drivers remain unclear. This research determines the effect of receiving instant distraction warnings over two years using a naturalistic driving dataset comprising around one million trips from 373 LCV drivers in the Republic of Ireland. Furthermore, the study applies Association Rule Mining (ARM) to find the contextual variables (e.g., speed limit, road type, traffic conditions) that increase the likelihood of distraction events. The results show that warning-based ADAS providing real-time warnings helps reduce distraction events triggering driver inattention, forward collision, and lane departure warnings. Over half of the studied fleet reduced these warnings by at least 50% - lane departure after two months and driver inattention and forward collision after six months. It is found that both passive and active monitoring systems, coupled with coaching and rewards, significantly reduce aggressive driving behaviours tied to harsh acceleration (by 76%) and harsh braking (by 65%). The results of ARM show that the driving context introduces explanatory information for road safety programs. Low-speed urban roads and the summer season increase the likelihood of driver inattention and forward collision warnings. In contrast, high-speed rural roads increase the likelihood of lane departure warnings. These research findings support road safety stakeholders in developing risk assessments based on warning-based ADAS, targeted campaigns to reduce driving distraction, and driving coaching programs.

Analysis of mobile phone use engagement during naturalistic driving through explainable imbalanced machine learning

While driver distraction remains an issue in modernized societies, technological advancements in data collection, storage and analysis provide the means for deeper insights of this complex phenomenon. In this research, factors influencing when driver distraction through mobile phone use occurs during naturalistic driving are investigated. Naturalistic data from a 6-stage, 230-driver experiment are exploited, in which drivers installed a non-intrusive driving recording application in their devices and conducted their trips normally across a 21-month timespan, coupled with corresponding questionnaire data. The various experiment stages involved providing progressively more behavioral feedback to drivers while continuing to record them. Subsequently, supervised Machine Learning XGBoost algorithms were employed to model the contributions of naturalistic driving and questionnaire features to the decision to engage mobile phone use. Mobile phone use percentages were heavily skewed towards zero, therefore imbalanced ML with a minority-oversampling approach in a binary format was employed. To increase the explainability offered by the algorithm, SHAP values were calculated for the informative features. Results indicate that the decision of drivers to use a mobile while driving is governed by a number of complex, non-linear relationships. Total trip distance is the most significant predictor variable by a wide margin, with mean SHAP values of 0.79 towards affecting the model decisions for the probability of mobile phone use of each driver. However, other variables influence the final predictions as well, such as the number of tickets in the last three years (m.SHAP = 0.30), declared mobile phone use (m.SHAP = 0.26), the amount and variety of provided feedback (m.SHAP = 0.17) (i.e. experiment phase number) and family member numbers (m.SHAP = 0.09) decrease the probability of using a mobile phone while driving. Conversely, increases in driver experience (m.SHAP = 0.22), driver age (m.SHAP = 0.11), engine capacity (m.SHAP = 0.11) and total kilometers driven annually (m.SHAP = 0.08) increase the probability of using a mobile phone in naturalistic driving conditions. SHAP dependency plots reveal non-linear effects present in almost all variables. Fuel consumption had a particularly strong non-linear effect, as higher values of this variable lead to both higher and lower probability of drivers using a mobile phone, deviating from the safer average. Legislation, campaigns and enforcement measures can be restructured to take advantage of gains margins in terms of understanding and predicting driver distraction behavior, as explored in the present study.

Is distraction on the road associated with maladaptive mobile phone use? A systematic review

Maladaptive Mobile Phone Use (MMPU) (also known as Smartphone Addiction, Nomophobia, Fear of Missing Out, or Problematic Mobile Phone Use) is a growing mental health problem. However, the health and safety consequences of MMPU remain unexplored in many real-life contexts. A potential setting where MMPU may have some negative repercussions is on the road. It is well established that road users (e.g., drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists) increasingly injure themselves or others due to distractions such as phone use while on the road. Emerging research suggests that MMPU is a possible determinant of this risky behaviour. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the relationship between MMPU and mobile phone use behaviour on the road, as it could help guide and improve interventions aimed at increasing road safety. This systematic review investigated the relationship between maladaptive mobile phone use and mobile phone use behaviour on the road in terms of attitudes and risk perception, intention, phone use engagement, performance changes, and safety outcomes. A total of 44 studies were identified with 47 unique samples of road users, of which 68.1% (32/47) were comprised of drivers, 19.1% (9/47) were pedestrians, 8.5% (4/47) were unspecified road users, and there was one group of motorcyclists and cyclists. Our findings confirmed that MMPU is related to risky behaviour on the roads. In the 29 studies considering observed or self-reported behaviour, 90.9% (30/33) found that road users who scored higher in MMPU are more likely to use their phones on the road as cyclists, drivers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians. Of the nine studies that analysed performance changes, 55.6% (5/9) showed evidence that MMPU changes the performance of road users engaging in mobile phone use, meaning that there is evidence suggesting that MMPU determines the level of impairment. Of the nine studies that analysed the safety-related-outcomes, 66.7% (6/9) found that the higher the MMPU score, the more likely road users are to experience safety-critical traffic events. This review contributes to the literature by showing a pathway between the negative health consequences of MMPU and road trauma. We also identified that the quality of the studies was generally low due to study design and blinding aspects. This field of research also lacks standard practices as researchers avoid using established and well-validated questionnaires, often creating new ones to measure MMPU. This hinders the generalisability of the findings and raises questions about the construct validity and external validity of MMPU. The usefulness of future research would be enhanced by a consistent methodological approach using the same scales based on standard behavioural definitions. The cross-disciplinary nature of MMPU effects means that transport and road safety professionals need to work with healthcare professionals and technology organisations to understand and address MMPU as a contributing factor to road crashes.

Texting While Driving: A Literature Review on Driving Simulator Studies

Road safety is increasingly threatened by distracted driving. Studies have shown that there is a significantly increased risk for a driver of being involved in a car crash due to visual distractions (not watching the road), manual distractions (hands are off the wheel for other non-driving activities), and cognitive and acoustic distractions (the driver is not focused on the driving task). Driving simulators (DSs) are powerful tools for identifying drivers' responses to different distracting factors in a safe manner. This paper aims to systematically review simulator-based studies to investigate what types of distractions are introduced when using the phone for texting while driving (TWD), what hardware and measures are used to analyze distraction, and what the impact of using mobile devices to read and write messages while driving is on driving performance. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A total of 7151 studies were identified in the database search, of which 67 were included in the review, and they were analyzed in order to respond to four research questions. The main findings revealed that TWD distraction has negative effects on driving performance, affecting drivers' divided attention and concentration, which can lead to potentially life-threatening traffic events. We also provide several recommendations for driving simulators that can ensure high reliability and validity for experiments. This review can serve as a basis for regulators and interested parties to propose restrictions related to using mobile phones in a vehicle and improve road safety.

Drivers' self-regulatory behaviors in active and responsive scenarios

OBJECTIVE

Drivers usually appear to self-regulate their driving behaviors in situations considered to be challenging, such as mobile phone-distracted driving. It is important to clarify how drivers self-regulate their actual behaviors. In addition, few studies investigated driver distraction in active and responsive scenarios. Therefore, the present study aimed to gain a better understanding of drivers' actual self-regulation of driving behaviors and phone use behaviors while mobile phone-distracted driving in active and responsive scenarios. The contribution of compensatory beliefs to self-regulation was also explored.

METHODS

This study was conducted using a 2 (mobile phone use behaviors: phone calling vs. WeChat messaging) × 2 (scenarios: active vs. responsive) within-group design. A total of 34 participants completed a driving simulation experiment. The dependent variables of drivers' driving behaviors, phone use behaviors, and physiological data were collected. Participants' compensatory belief was also measured.

RESULTS

The results showed that the speed reduction in the stages with WeChat messaging was significantly greater than that in the stages with phone calls, and the speed reduction in the responsive scenario was significantly greater than that in the active scenario. Participants would adopt relatively equal phone-use-related self-regulatory behaviors in active and responsive scenarios. Participants with higher compensatory beliefs had relatively greater speed reduction in most scenarios, but fewer phone-use-related self-regulatory behaviors. In addition, the respiratory rate could contribute to evaluating the changes in drivers' physiological status during phone calling-distracted driving.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants would self-regulate driving behaviors and phone use behaviors according to different distracted driving tasks and scenarios. The driving-related self-regulation in WeChat messaging scenarios and responsive scenarios was greater. There was a trend in the effect of compensatory beliefs on actual self-regulatory behaviors, which needs to be further verified in the future. This study contributes to the verification of the different actual driving-related and phone-use-related self-regulatory behavior of drivers in active and responsive mobile phone distracted driving scenarios.

Understanding the domain of driving distraction with knowledge graphs

This paper aims to provide insight into the driving distraction domain systematically on the basis of scientific knowledge graphs. For this purpose, 3,790 documents were taken into consideration after retrieving from Web of Science Core Collection and screening, and two types of knowledge graphs were constructed to demonstrate bibliometric information and domain-specific research content respectively. In terms of bibliometric analysis, the evolution of publication and citation numbers reveals the accelerated development of this domain, and trends of multidisciplinary and global participation could be identified according to knowledge graphs from Vosviewer. In terms of research content analysis, a new framework consisting of five dimensions was clarified, including "objective factors", "human factors", "research methods", "data" and "data science". The main entities of this domain were identified and relations between entities were extracted using Natural Language Processing methods with Python 3.9. In addition to the knowledge graph composed of all the keywords and relationships, entities and relations under each dimension were visualized, and relations between relevant dimensions were demonstrated in the form of heat maps. Furthermore, the trend and significance of driving distraction research were discussed, and special attention was given to future directions of this domain.

Young drivers and smartphone use: The impact of legal and non-legal deterrents

INTRODUCTION

Young drivers continue to be overrepresented in road crash statistics and smartphone use has been identified as a dangerous form of driver distraction. Previous research has identified factors encouraging drivers to use their mobile phone, with few examining what deters drivers. This study examines the influence of legal and non-legal deterrents on smartphone use while driving (SWD) in a young adult sample.

METHOD

An online survey was administered to a sample of 524 Australian drivers aged 17-25 years. Measures included demographic variables, legal deterrents (certainty, severity, and swiftness), and non-legal deterrents: social loss (peers and parents), internal loss (anticipated regret) and physical loss (injury to self/others). Self-reported SWD was the outcome variable, measured separately for initiating SWD and responding SWD behaviors.

RESULTS

Responding behaviors were reported more frequently than initiating, and social, internal, and physical loss were perceived as higher for initiating versus responding behaviors. Anticipated action regret and physical loss were significant negative predictors of SWD across both modalities of communication. Anticipated inaction regret was also a significant positive predictor of initiating behaviors. Both legal deterrents and social loss were non-significant predictors for both modalities of SWD.

CONCLUSIONS

The results reinforce previous evidence showing that legal deterrence variables are not consistently effective at reducing offending behaviors. Future research should continue to explore the effect of non-legal deterrents across different modalities of SWD.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Road safety interventions aimed at young drivers should evaluate the impact of highlighting anticipated regret and potential injury to self and others associated with risky driving behaviors, such as SWD.

Distractions by work-related activities: The impact of ride-hailing app and radio system on male taxi drivers

Use of ride-hailing mobile apps has surged and reshaped the taxi industry. These apps allow real-time taxi-customer matching of taxi dispatch system. However, there are also increasing concerns for driver distractions as a result of these ride-hailing systems. This study aims to investigate the effects of distractions by different ride-hailing systems on the driving performance of taxi drivers using the driving simulator experiment. In this investigation, fifty-one male taxi drivers were recruited. During the experiment, the road environment (urban street versus motorway), driving task (free-flow driving versus car-following), and distraction type (no distraction, auditory distraction by radio system, and visual-manual distraction by mobile app) were varied. Repeated measures ANOVA and random parameter generalized linear models were adopted to evaluate the distracted driving performance accounting for correlations among different observations of a same driver. Results indicate that distraction by mobile app impairs driving performance to a larger extent than traditional radio systems, in terms of the lateral control in the free-flow motorway condition and the speed control in the free-flow urban condition. In addition, for car-following task on urban street, compensatory behaviour (speed reduction) is more prevalent when distracted by mobile app while driving, compared to that of radio system. Additionally, no significant difference in subjective workload between distractions by mobile app and radio system were found. Several driver characteristics such as experience, driving records, and perception variables also influence driving performances. The findings are expected to facilitate the development of safer ride-hailing systems, as well as driver training and road safety policy.

Is safety in the eye of the beholder? Discrepancies between self-reported and proxied data on road safety behaviors—A systematic review

Recent studies have problematized on the lack of agreement between self-reported and proxied data in the field of road safety-related behaviors. Overall, and although these studies are still scarce, most of them suggest that the way we perceive our own road behavior is systematically different from the perspective from which we perceive others' behavior, and vice versa. The aim of this review paper was to target the number and type of studies that have researched the behavioral perceptions of different groups of road users, contrasting self-reported behavioral data with those reported by other users (proxied), and their outcomes. This systematic review followed the PRISMA methodology, which allows for the identification of relevant articles based on the research term. A total number of 222 indexed articles were filtered, and a final selection of 19 articles directly addressing the issue was obtained. Search strategies were developed and conducted in MEDLINE, WOS, Scopus and APA databases. It is remarkable how road users perceive themselves as behaviorally “safer” than the rest of road users in what concerns the knowledge of traffic norms and their on-road performance. In addition, and regardless of the type of user used as a source, self-reported data suggest their perceived likelihood to suffer a traffic crash is lesser if compared to any other user. On the other hand, proxied reports tend to undervalue third users' performance, and to perceive riskier behaviors and crash-related risks among them. The outputs of this systematic review support the idea that the perception of road users' behavior and its related risks substantially differ according to the source. It is also necessary to increase the number, coverage and rigor of studies on this matter, perhaps through complementary and mixed measures, in order to properly understand and face the bias on road users' risk-related behaviors.

Taking the right course: The possibilities and challenges of offering alternatives to prosecution for drivers detected using mobile phones while driving

There is a considerable body of literature that outlines the dangers of mobile phone use by drivers. However, there is very little research that explores the role and effectiveness of attempts to tackle this specific road user problem. Generally, normative motives are more likely to generate compliance with traffic law, and are more likely to be developed through approaches which focus on engagement and education. There would seem to be little potential for them to be developed through the use of penalty points and fines, which rely on more instrumental logic. Nonetheless, the decision was made in the UK in recent years to cease offering 'courses' (inputs to detected phone-using drivers offered as an alternative to prosecution) for mobile phone offences. This decision was made despite a lack of evidence one way or another about their effectiveness in tackling both handheld mobile phone use and handsfree mobile phone distraction - a form of distraction not explicitly covered in law. This research project aimed to explore driver education as an alternative to prosecution for mobile phone use while driving offences, focusing on perceptions and experiences of one particular educational intervention. This paper draws on 46 semi-structured interviews with those involved in delivering a specific intervention aimed at reducing handheld mobile phone use by drivers that was previously offered as an alternative to prosecution in the UK; the police officers identifying offenders for referral to such courses, those delivering the intervention, drivers attending the course as an alternative to prosecution and members of the public attending the course as general education. Four key themes, with underpinning subthemes, emerged; 1) Police officer discretion and control over entry into the criminal justice system 2) Police-public interactions, 3) Course experiences, and 4) Post-course considerations. Firstly, police officer discretion is an important determinant of criminal justice system outcome, based on subjective rather than legal decisions about whether or not to report drivers for an offence. Secondly, police officers negotiate encounters with road users using the avoidance of prosecution as a way of diffusing difficult conversations, sometimes by offering a course as a preferable alternative to prosecution, sometimes by encouraging handsfree phone use. Thirdly, course attendance provides an opportunity to develop both normative alignment through increased understanding of police work, and to appreciate a range of instrumental consequences associated with mobile phone use. Both self-reportedly impacted upon mobile phone use while driving. Finally, post-course considerations emphasised a focus on who should be offered courses as an alternative to prosecution, focusing upon desires for both punitive and rehabilitative responses to mobile phone using drivers.

The effect of risk perception and other psychological factors on mobile phone use while crossing the street among pedestrians

Pedestrians may be the most vulnerable group among road users, and mobile phone use while crossing the street is ubiquitous worldwide in this information era. However, previous studies have found that such distracting behaviors may increase the risk of injury and death. The present study primarily aimed to explore the effect of reinforcement sensitivity theory components (i.e., Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), Behavioral Approach System (BAS)), risk perception, attitudes towards red light running, and fear of missing out (FoMO) on mobile phone use while crossing the street among pedestrians. Risk perception was measured in three ways (i.e., assessing the probability of a negative outcome (RP-Pro), judging the severity of the consequence (RP-Se), and evaluating the general riskiness of the behavior (RP-Ri)). An online questionnaire survey was conducted, and only valid responses (N = 425) were used for subsequent data analyses. The results indicated significant differences in the responses across the risk perception questions with different focuses. Participants who reported engaging in more distracted street-crossing (i.e., high-risk takers) perceived a significantly lower risk, and this difference did not depend on the focus of risk perception. Three path analysis models with differential risk perception constructs (RP-Pro, RP-Se, and RP-Ri) were developed to examine the relationship between risk perception and distracted street-crossing. The results suggest that the relationship between these two variables does not depend on the focus of the risk perception questions. Moreover, FoMO was a predictor of mobile phone use while crossing the street, while attitudes had both direct and indirect effects on behavior. BIS and BAS had the lowest total effect on mobile phone use among pedestrians. In particular, a direct association between BAS and distracted street-crossing was found only in the model in which risk perception was measured by judging the severity of crashes caused by mobile phone use distraction. This study may be meaningful for understanding the associations between psychological factors and mobile phone use among pedestrians. The implications of the findings for the development of safety interventions are discussed in this study.

Deterring illegal smartphone use while driving: Are perceptions of risk information associated with the impact of informal sanctions?

Advertising campaigns have used threat appeals to increase the perceptions of risk associated with dangerous driving behaviours. Building on recent research that suggests increasing the pertinence of informal sanctions (sense of guilt, fear of peer disapproval, or fear of hurting oneself and others) decreases the likelihood of illegal smartphone engagement while driving, this study aimed to determine if perceptions of risk information, that is, how effective drivers believe the information is in deterring their illegal use, is associated with perceptions of informal sanctions. An online survey of 1027 Victorians who self-reported illegal smartphone use while driving asked participants to rate the personal deterrent effectiveness of five types of risks associated with illegal smartphone use while driving. A hierarchical linear regression model explored the associations between the most effective risks and each informal sanction. Female drivers were more likely than male drivers to experience guilt, fear of social loss and fear of physical loss when using their smartphones illegally. More frequent illegal smartphone engagement while driving was associated with decreased impact of informal sanctions. Female drivers were more likely than male drivers to perceive each risk as effective. The most effective piece of information was, "Contributes to 16% of Victorian road deaths and serious injuries annually"; it was also the least known (32.7% males, 26.7% females). This message, alongside, "Increases risk of a crash comparable to those associated with driving under the influence of alcohol or cannabis" and, "A 2 s glance at your phone while driving at 50 km/h effectively means driving blind for 27 m", were associated with stronger perceptions of guilt, fear of peer disapproval, or fear of hurting oneself and others when thinking about using a smartphone illegally while driving. These results suggest tailoring and targeting these specific risk information may be effective in deterring illegal smartphone use while driving.

Smartphone use among young drivers: Applying an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour to predict young drivers' intention and engagement in concealed responding

Young drivers, aged 17-25 years, are more likely than other age groups to access social interactive technologies (e.g., Snapchat, Facebook) on their smartphones while driving. Many of these young drivers do so in a concealed manner, thereby diverting their eyes from the road for extended periods and increasing their crash risk. In accordance with previous research, an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was applied in this survey study to investigate psychosocial predictors of young drivers' intention, and behaviour, of responding to social interactive technology on a smartphone in a concealed manner. Participants (N = 154) resided in Australia, were aged 17-25 years, owned a provisional or an open licence, and owned a smartphone. Participants completed two online surveys administered 1-week apart. The first survey measured intention and assessed the TPB standard constructs of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control, as well as the additional constructs of anticipated action regret, anticipated inaction regret, and problematic mobile phone usage. The first survey also assessed whether there were any differences in the salient beliefs (elicited in a previous study) about smartphone use between high and low intenders to engage in this behaviour. The second survey measured engagement in the behaviour of responding in a concealed manner in the previous week. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed the standard TPB accounted for 69% of variance in intention, and a further 4% was accounted for by the extended constructs. In the final model, all variables, except anticipated inaction regret, were significant predictors of intention. Intention was the only significant predictor of behaviour. A series of MANOVAs found significant differences in the salient belief items between high and low intenders (e.g., high intenders were more likely to believe that friends/peers and other drivers would approve of them engaging in this behaviour). These key findings can be used as focal points for public education messages to persuade young drivers to reduce the frequency of their smartphone use, which is vital to improve road safety for all users.

Driving through a pandemic: A study of speeding and phone use while driving during COVID-19 restrictions

OBJECTIVE

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions were implemented, however, data indicates road crash rates have not decreased proportionately to the decline in traffic density. This study explored how speeding and phone use while driving (road behaviors associated with a high crash risk) changed as a result of COVID-19 restrictions in Queensland.

METHODS

Two cross-sectional studies were conducted in Queensland, Australia to examine self-reported changes in speeding and phone use while driving before, during and after the easing of restrictions (while also considering exposure to the road and driving location). Study 1 (n = 351) was conducted between 12 May and 12 June 2020, when the majority of COVID-19 restrictions were enforced. Study 2 (n = 427) was conducted between 24 June and 12 August 2020, when restrictions were easing.

RESULTS

The findings indicated, overall, self-reported speeding and phone use significantly decreased during restrictions (likely due to reduced travel), but not for those who continued to drive regularly. There was an additional, significant self-reported decrease in phone use while driving after restrictions were eased when compared to engagement during restrictions, which may (in part) be due to the simultaneous introduction of roadside mobile phone detection cameras.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the importance of visible deterrence and provide a glimpse of possible consequences if there is a more sustained reduction in policing presence on roads.

"Does that mean I can't use my phone to pay when I'm in the Maccas drive thru?": Younger drivers' uncertainty and attitude toward smartphone law and punishment

This study employed a mixed methods approach (a survey [n = 2,774] and focus groups [n = 16]) to understand the perceptions of younger drivers (18-25) on current smartphone laws in the Australian state of Victoria. First, by analysing quantitative data gathered from an online survey regarding smartphone laws, perceptions of punishment when breaking the law, and attitudes to both the law and fines, this study found younger drivers were less likely to understand the law around phone use while driving, even after direct or indirect experience with police. Additionally, the severity and impact of fines were perceived as more impactful and severe among younger drivers, women, and those on lower incomes, and the most common types of illegal use younger drivers engaged with were navigation, music applications, and hands-free calling, mostly facilitated through Bluetooth with their device placed out of sight. Consequently, focus groups were conducted with a subset of these younger drivers to explore these findings in more depth. It was revealed that smartphone laws were perceived to be ambiguous, at times unreasonable, and difficult to access conclusive information regarding the law or receive information throughout the Graduated Licencing Program. Additionally, of full licenced drivers breaking smartphone laws (n = 807), 61.7 percent never used a cradle. Among probationary drivers breaking the law (n = 209), 76.1 percent never used a cradle. This suggests rampant surreptitious illegal use. As such, younger drivers learning to drive are also learning methods to avoid punishment while breaking smartphone laws. This included not using a cradle and opting instead for Bluetooth connectivity or engaging in hand-held use, a choice that continued into Full Licensed driving. The severity of punishment was not common knowledge and was perceived to be incommensurate to the risks associated with certain types of use. In their opinion all of these factors reduced the legitimacy of the law. Addressing these factors with evidence-based countermeasures may increase compliance and road safety.

"Like it's wrong, but it's not that wrong:" Exploring the normalization of risk-compensatory strategies among young drivers engaging in illegal smartphone use

INTRODUCTION

Young drivers are the most vulnerable road users and most likely to use a smartphone illegally while driving. Although when compared with drink-driving, attitudes to illegal smartphone risk are nearly identical, smartphone use among young drivers continues to increase.

METHOD

Four in-depth focus groups were conducted with 13 young (18-25 years) drivers to gain insight into their perceptions of the risks associated with the behavior. Our aim was to determine how drivers navigate that risk and if their behavior shapes and informs perceptions of norms.

RESULTS

Three key themes emerged: (a) participants perceived illegal smartphone use as commonplace, easy, and benign; (b) self-regulatory behaviors that compensate for risk are pervasive among illegal smartphone users; and (c) risk-compensation strategies rationalize risks and perceived norms, reducing the seriousness of transgression when compared with drink-driving. Young drivers rationalized their own use by comparing their selfregulatory smartphone and driving skills with those of "bad drivers," not law abiders. Practical Applications: These findings suggest that smartphone behaviors shape attitudes to risk, highlighting the importance for any countermeasure aimed at reducing illegal use to acknowledge how a young person's continued engagement in illegal smartphone use is justified by the dynamic composition of use, risk assessment and the perceived norms.

The use of mobile phone while driving: Behavior and determinant analysis in one of the largest metropolitan area of Italy

The use of mobile phones while driving is one of the main causes of road accidents and it is a phenomenon in continuous growth. The key aim of this study is to analyse simultaneously knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward the use of mobile phones while driving in one of the largest and populous metropolitan areas of Italy, Naples. The data acquired from 774 questionnaires - administered to subjects evenly divided by gender and with an average age of 39 years - revealed that 69 % have used their mobile phone while driving at least once in their lifetime. Among those who used the phone, 63.6 % use it to make phone calls while 75.2 % only to answer them; 49.1 % read messages and only 33.3 % write them. It is also notable that 34.1 % do not stop to answer a call and only 10 % do not value the use of headsets while driving as fundamental. The results indicate that cell phone usage while driving is common in the study population, despite many having university-level education and satisfactory risks awareness. The multiple linear regression analysis shows how knowledge is not correlated to the behavior held. On the contrary, attitudes are strongly correlated to knowledge and behavior, meaning that good attitudes bring forth positive behavior. According to the collected data and statistical analysis, it is possible to identify factors that can greatly affect the use of mobile phone while driving and establish targeted prevention programs.

Mining patterns of near-crash events with and without secondary tasks

The engagement of secondary tasks, like using a phone or talking to passengers while driving, could introduce considerable risks to driving safety. This study utilizes a near-crash dataset extracted from a naturalistic driving study to explore the patterns of near-crash events with or without the involvement of secondary tasks as a surrogate approach to understand the impact of these behaviors on traffic safety. The dataset contains information about driver behaviors, such as secondary tasks, vehicle maneuvers, other conflict vehicles' maneuvers before and during near-crash events, and the driving environment. The patterns for near-crashes with or without the involvement of secondary tasks are mined by adopting the apriori association rule algorithm. Finally, the mined rules for the near-crash events with or without the involvement of the secondary tasks are analyzed and compared. The results demonstrate that near-crashes with the involvement of secondary tasks often occur with drivers in a relatively stable and presumably predictable environment, such as an interstate highway with a constant speed. This type of near-crash is highly associated with the leading vehicle's sudden slowing or stopping since there is no expectation of any interruptions for these drivers performing the secondary tasks. The most common evasive maneuver in this kind of emergency is braking. Near-crashes without the involvement of secondary tasks is often associated with lane-changing behavior and sideswipe incidents. With shorter reaction time and awareness of the driving environment, the drivers in this type of near-crash can often make more complex maneuvers, like braking and steering, to avoid a collision. Understanding the patterns of these two types of near-crash incidents could help safety researchers, traffic engineers, and even vehicle designers/engineers develop countermeasures for minimizing potential collisions caused by secondary tasks or improper lane changing behaviors.

Mobile phone use while driving: Development and validation of knowledge, attitude, and practice survey instruments

INTRODUCTION

Instruments that assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of mobile phone use serve as a primary assessment tool on which mobile phone distracted driving interventions can be designed. The objective of this study is to develop and validate KAP-modeled survey instruments that measure the knowledge of mobile phone hazards while driving (KMPHD), the attitude of drivers towards mobile phone use while driving (AMPUD), and the practice of mobile phone use while driving (PMPUD).

METHOD

This study was a cross-sectional analytical survey conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria. Three instruments were designed to measure KMPHD, AMPUD, and PMPUD. Content validity, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis were conducted, and items were excluded based on the collective results of the analysis. The domains of the constructs and the reliability of the instruments are reported. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the regression weights of each item and the model fit.

RESULTS

From an original list of 13, 12, and 10 items in the KMPHD, AMPUD, and PMPUD instruments, a final list of 7, 5, and 7 items were generated in each survey instrument, respectively. Two domains of the knowledge of hazards and practice of mobile phone use were obtained, and attitude to phone use while driving was a single domain. The reliabilities (Cronbach alpha) of the KMPHD (0.881), AMPUD (0.954), and PMPUD (0.920) were sufficiently high. Also, all items in the three instruments had moderate-to-high regression coefficients, and the model fits of the instruments were good.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides KAP-modeled survey instruments that can be used to assess a population-based knowledge, attitude, and practice of mobile phone use while driving. Practical Applications: This survey instrument can be used in assessing baseline knowledge, attitude, and practice of phone use while driving and determine the focus and effectiveness of mobile phone-induced distracted driving interventions.

Mobile phone use while driving: Prevalence, task management strategies, risk perception and attitude among Qassim University students

Background:

Globally, motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) cause around 1.35 million deaths annually. Distracted driving, a risk factor for MVA, includes diversion of attention from driving because of use of mobile phone.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to determine prevalence of mobile phone use and to explore task management strategies, risk perception and attitude towards mobile phone use while driving among Qassim University students.

Methods:

An online cross-sectional survey among 212 randomly selected medical (n = 83) and engineering students (n = 129) of Qassim University, Saudi Arabia, through semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire, designed using Google forms. The survey was conducted from February to March 2020.

Results:

The overall prevalence of mobile phone use while driving was 93.4% (medical students: 96.4%; engineering students: 91.5%). Around 49.5% participants 'often' or 'always' used mobile phone while driving. Among task management strategies, 169 (79.7%) participants were 'likely' or 'very likely' to lower their driving speed while 90 (42.5%) were 'likely' or 'very likely' to increase control over the steering while using mobile phone during driving. Regarding risk perception, 173 (81.6%) participants thought that they were 'unlikely' or 'very unlikely' to have MVA on looking at phone continuously for more than 2 s, and 185 (87.3%) participants thought that they were 'unlikely' or 'very unlikely' to have MVA by texting or browsing while driving. Thirty-six (17%) participants reported MVA because of distraction by mobile phone use while driving.

Conclusion:

High prevalence of mobile phone use during driving and low perceived risk of experiencing MVA because of mobile phone use was found among Qassim University students. Creating awareness on risks of mobile phone use while driving is recommended.

The effect of cellphone position on driving and gaze behaviour

Legislation frequently restricts the use of cellphones while driving. Despite this, many people continue to interact with cellphones covertly while driving, typically by concealing their device in their lap. This strategy leads to frequent diversion of the drivers' gaze from the road ahead, potentially reducing their driving performance. To evaluate the influence of cellphone use on driving, 30 participants took part in three randomly ordered 7-min virtual reality driving simulations. In each condition, drivers were presented with either (a) no cellphone, (b) a cellphone fixed to the windscreen, or (c) a cellphone positioned at lap level. Their task was to maintain road position and observe speed limits while answering maths problems (delivered intermittently via 'text message') and searching for external target objects. Outcome measures included speed, lane position standard deviation (LPSD), and fixation behaviour, which were compared between trials. In trials where a cellphone was present, participants shifted fixation more frequently, drove approximately 6 km/h faster, exhibited a lower LPSD and spent more time in the correct lane on the road (compared to the no-cellphone condition; all p < 0.001). Cellphone position influenced eye gaze behaviour, with drivers looking at the cellphone less frequently, and the speedometer more frequently. when the cellphone was in their lap compared to when the cellphone was positioned on the windscreen. Our results are consistent with participants driving more cautiously-checking speed and lane position more frequently-when they have a cellphone in the lap. Real-world driving data would be useful to determine whether this change in driving behaviour we observed is sufficient to offset the increased risk introduced by spending less time looking at the road ahead.

Use of social media while driving from an orthopedic resident's perspective

PURPOSE

To investigate the orthopedic injuries sustained while driving and using social media on cellular phones from an orthopedic resident's perspective.

METHODS

A total of 118 patients who presented with a history of road traffic accident secondary to social media usage and suffered from fractures were included in this cross-sectional study. These patients were reported from October 2018 to April 2019. We collected the data including the type of collision, type of social media usage during driving, location of injury, wearing of safety equipment's such as helmet and seat belt during driving.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was (34.86 ± 12.73) (range 15-71) years. The common types of accident on the basis of collision of vehicles were: car versus motorbike 45 (38.1%), motorbike versus motorbike 28 (23.7%), and motorbike versus pedestrian 22 (18.6%). Most of the accidents (61, 51.7%) occurred due to mistake of motor-bikers. Out of them, 44 (37.3%) occurred on traffic signals, followed by 29 (24.6%) while driving on main roads. The common timing of accident was normal hours with frequency of 44 (37.3%), followed by 39 (33.1%) at late night. According to fracture type, closed injuries were 98 (83.1%) and open fractures were 20 (16.9%). The most common fracture was clavicular fracture (21, 22.5%) followed by soft tissue injury in 19 (16.1%) patients. The most common social media application usage during driving was Facebook 43 (36.4%), followed by Whatsapp 24 (20.3%), Google 19 (16.1%), and Instagram 15 (12.7%).

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence that social media usage while driving put the drivers and other road users' lives at high risk. The most common social media addiction while driving is Facebook and Whatsapp. So there is a need to make strict rules and penalties for using cell phone during driving so as to save the lives of drivers and other people using road.

Age-related differences in driving behaviors among non-professional drivers in Egypt

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate whether young and old non-professional drivers in South Egypt have aberrant driving behaviors compared with their middle-aged counterparts.

Materials and methods

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 1764 non-professional drivers aged ≥ 19 years, residing in Beni-Suef in South Egypt, and having ≥ one year of driving experience were randomly selected. All drivers were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire, including personal information, driving habits, and the Arabic version of the Driver Behavior Questionnaire which evaluates driving violations, errors, and lapses.

Results

This study included 560 young drivers (19–25 years), 850 middle-aged drivers (26–59 years), and 354 old drivers (≥ 60 years). Compared with middle-aged drivers, young drivers reported more non-use of the seatbelt, eating while driving, and driving while feeling drowsy. Old drivers, in contrast, showed more careful driving behaviors including fewer violations, errors, and lapses and less likelihood of driving while feeling sleepy.

Conclusion

This study supports the conception that young drivers pose less careful driving habits. Initiating educational programs targeting young drivers to improve their driving habits and create a traffic safety culture in Egypt is highly warranted.

Naturalistic Driving Study in Brazil: An Analysis of Mobile Phone Use Behavior while Driving

Mobile phone use (MPU) while driving is an important road safety challenge worldwide. Naturalistic driving studies (NDS) emerged as one of the most sophisticated methodologies to investigate driver behavior; however, NDS have not been implemented in low- or middle-income countries. The aim of this research is to investigate MPU while driving and compare the results to those reported in international studies. An analysis of 61.32 h and 1350 km driven in Curitiba (Brazil) showed that MPU lasted for an average of 28.51 s (n = 627) and occurred in 58.71% of trips (n = 201) with an average frequency of 8.37 interactions per hour (n = 201). The proportion of the trip time using a mobile phone was 7.03% (n = 201), and the average instantaneous speed was 12.77 km/h (n = 627) while using the phone. Generally, drivers spent less time on more complex interactions and selected a lower speed when using the phone. MPU was observed more during short duration than longer trips. Drivers in this study engaged in a larger number of MPU compared to drivers from Netherlands and the United States; and the percentage of trip time with MPU was between North American and European values.

Turn signal use among motorcyclists and car drivers: The role of environmental characteristics, perceived risk, beliefs and lifestyle behaviours

Turn signal neglect is considered to be a key contributor to crashes at intersections, yet relatively little research has been undertaken on this topic, particularly in developing countries. Using a case study of Vietnam, this research aimed to explore the role of environmental characteristics, perceived risk, beliefs and lifestyle behaviours on the frequency of turn signal use at intersections. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to motorcyclists (n = 527) and car drivers (n = 326) using online and offline methods. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), key findings indicate that perceived risk, beliefs and environmental characteristics play a significant role in affecting the frequency of turn signal use among motorcycle riders and car drivers at intersections. While lifestyle behaviours were not found to be a good predictor of turn signal use among car drivers, they were found to indirectly affect turn signal use among motorcycle riders through the mediation of beliefs and perceived risk. The findings can help inform the development of more targeted measures to increase turn signal use.

Mobile phone use among car drivers and motorcycle riders: The effect of problematic mobile phone use, attitudes, beliefs and perceived risk

Mobile phone use while driving presents significant risks, potentially leading to injury or death through distracted driving. Using a case study of Vietnam, this research aimed to understand the effect of problematic mobile phone use (also known as mobile phone addiction or compulsive mobile phone use), attitudes and beliefs, and perceived risk on the frequency of mobile phone use among motorcyclists and car drivers. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to motorcyclists (n₁= 529) and car drivers (n₂= 328) using an online survey and face-to-face survey. The survey took around 20-min to complete and participants were entered into a lottery for supermarket vouchers. Of the motorcyclists, 42% of the sample (the highest proportion) was in the 18-25 age group while the 36-45 age group accounted for the highest proportion among car drivers (34.8%). Using structural equation modelling (SEM), key findings showed that each construct influenced mobile phone use, but in different ways for motorcycle riders and car drivers. Attitudes and beliefs had the largest effect on mobile phone use while riding among motorcyclists, with problematic mobile phone use having the smallest influence. In contrast, problematic mobile phone use had the largest effect on mobile phone use while driving a car, with attitudes and beliefs having the smallest effect. The findings of this study point to the need for tailored interventions involving a range of actors (policymakers, police enforcement, mental health professionals, advocacy groups and the wider community) to raise awareness, modify attitudes and increase risk perception associated with mobile phone use while driving/riding. This can be achieved thorough educational tools and road safety campaigns which are focused on reducing this risky driving behaviour. This includes customising road safety programs for individuals and groups affected by problematic mobile phone use such as targeted advertising.

What is the difference between perceived and actual risk of distracted driving? A field study on a real highway

Distracted driving is a leading cause of traffic accidents. It is influenced by driver attitude toward secondary tasks; however, field-based studies on the effects of low-perceived-risk tasks on lateral driving have rarely been reported. A total of 17 experienced non-professional drivers were recruited to participate in two secondary tasks: a cognitive experiment (conversation) and a visual distraction experiment (observation of following vehicles), each representing low-perceived-risk secondary tasks. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to evaluate the effects of low-perceived-risk tasks on lateral driving performance. ANOVA results indicated that compared with baseline (no task) lateral performance, lane-keeping ability was enhanced during cognitive distractions. In the visual distraction experiment, more than 50% of the distractions required 1–2 s. Lane deviation and its growth rate increased with the duration of distraction. Compared with cognitive distraction, lane deviation increased significantly with visual distraction, and lane-keeping performance was seriously impaired. For low-perceived-risk tasks, visual distractions impaired driving safety more seriously, compared with cognitive distractions, suggesting that drivers misjudge the risks associated with visual tasks. These results can contribute to the design of advanced driving-assistance systems and improve professional driver programs, potentially reducing the frequency of traffic accidents caused by distracted driving.

Drivers' gap acceptance behaviours at intersections: A driving simulator study to understand the impact of mobile phone visual-manual interactions

Mobile phone use is often considered to be the main source of distraction on the road. Gap acceptance at intersections is a frequent and complex driving task that requires high visual attention from drivers. This study aims to investigate the effect of mobile phone use on the gap acceptance manoeuvre at intersections. Different mobile phone use positions, intersection type, gap size and driver characteristics were considered in the study. A total of 41 licenced drivers drove in an advanced driving simulator in three phone use conditions: baseline (no phone use), using the phone under the steering wheel (covert) and using the phone above the steering wheel (overt). Drivers drove the simulator three times and experienced two intersection types (straight-forward vs. left-turn) and two gap sizes (4 s vs. 7 s) during each drive. A parametric accelerated failure time (AFT) duration model was developed to evaluate the intersection crossing completion time of drivers. The results showed no significant difference of gap acceptance behaviours between the two phone use positions. The distraction task did not affect drivers' gap acceptance decision, but it increased the crossing completion time by over 10 % compared to baseline. Besides, drivers behaved conservatively at intersections while using a mobile phone, such as adopting a larger deceleration, waiting a longer time, and mainting a larger distance to the front vehicle, etc. However, these compensational behaviours were not helpful in improving the intersection traffic situation regarding both safety and efficiency. Intersection type and gap size were both significant factors of gap acceptance decision and crossing completion time. Additionally, younger drivers were more likely to accept a gap than older drivers, and female drivers spent longer time to cross the intersection than males.

Mobile Phone Use in a Car-Following Situation: Impact on Time Headway and Effectiveness of Driver's Rear-End Risk Compensation Behavior via a Driving Simulator Study

Mobile phone use while driving has become one of the leading causes of traffic accidents and poses a significant threat to public health. This study investigated the impact of speech-based texting and handheld texting (two difficulty levels in each task) on car-following performance in terms of time headway and collision avoidance capability; and further examined the relationship between time headway increase strategy and the corresponding accident frequency. Fifty-three participants completed the car-following experiment in a driving simulator. A Generalized Estimating Equation method was applied to develop the linear regression model for time headway and the binary logistic regression model for accident probability. The results of the model for time headway indicated that drivers adopted compensation behavior to offset the increased workload by increasing their time headway by 0.41 and 0.59 s while conducting speech-based texting and handheld texting, respectively. The model results for the rear-end accident probability showed that the accident probability increased by 2.34 and 3.56 times, respectively, during the use of speech-based texting and handheld texting tasks. Additionally, the greater the deceleration of the lead vehicle, the higher the probability of a rear-end accident. Further, the relationship between time headway increase patterns and the corresponding accident frequencies showed that all drivers’ compensation behaviors were different, and only a few drivers increased their time headway by 60% or more, which could completely offset the increased accident risk associated with mobile phone distraction. The findings provide a theoretical reference for the formulation of traffic regulations related to mobile phone use, driver safety education programs, and road safety public awareness campaigns. Moreover, the developed accident risk models may contribute to the development of a driving safety warning system.

Assessing driver acceptance of technology that reduces mobile phone use while driving: The case of mobile phone applications

The nature of the road environment requires drivers to be vigilant and attentive. Distracted driving is a primary concern, as it threatens the safety of road users. However very little research has been conducted into interventions to combat such an issue. Existing interventions such as police enforcement and legislation appear to have limited effect. The use of mobile phone applications to assist in limiting driver distraction is an alternative intervention that is currently gaining traction. With a great array of potential benefits, such as reducing road toll, these applications can be readily available to all road users. Despite the positive implications, it is vital that drivers accept the use of such a technology for the intervention to be effective. Therefore, understanding driver acceptance is an important step in implanting such applications. To assess this, the present study examines the utility of two versions of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) for understanding the acceptance of technology designed to reduce distraction. Participants were presented with two different applications and responded to questions that indicated their attitudes towards the factors included in the TAM, TPB and UTAUT, alongside their intent to use the technology. A total of 731 participants responded to the survey, and their responses analysed. The results indicated that overall, Davis' (1985) TAM was slightly better in explaining behavioural intent for both Mobile Phone Application (MPA) 1 and MPA 2, explaining 66.1% and 68.7% of the variance, respectively. Davis' (1989) TAM and the TPB were close behind, while the UTAUT explained the least variance in behavioural intent of all the models. Overall, the findings of this study provide support for using psychological theories to assess the acceptance of mobile phone applications.

"I Snapchat and Drive!" A mixed methods approach examining snapchat use while driving and deterrent perceptions among young adults

This research utilised a qualitative and quantitative study to examine a sample of young drivers' perceptions of deterrent forces, both legal and non-legal, for the behaviour of phone use while driving. First, focus groups were conducted with 60 drivers between the ages of 17 and 25 years who resided in Queensland, Australia. This qualitative study utilised an inductive approach to elicit participants' perceptions without omitting important ideas. Legal sanctions were associated with low perceptions of enforcement certainty. Meanwhile, the only non-legal sanction to emerge was the concept of "safety"; many participants were deterred from using their phone while driving for fear of injury or death to themselves or others. The types of social media most likely to be engaged in were explored and sending videos or photos via the application Snapchat emerged as the most common social media application used among the sample. Consequently, the subsequent quantitative study focused on deterrent forces associated with Snapchat use while driving. A survey was utilised with a separate sample of young drivers aged 17-25 years (n = 503). The impact of the threat of legal sanctions on Snapchat use while driving was examined through classical deterrence theory and Stafford and Warr's (1993) reconceptualised deterrence theory. The non-legal factor of perceived safety was also included in the quantitative study. None of the classical deterrence variables (e.g., certainty, severity and swiftness) reached significance while all the reconceptualised deterrence variables (e.g., direct and indirect punishment and punishment avoidance), as well as perceived safety, were significant predictors of Snapchat use while driving. It is suggested that perceptions of certainty of apprehension need to be increased for phone use while driving. The findings show the current impact of deterrent initiatives for phone use while driving as well as provide the first examination of deterrents for the specific mobile phone behaviour of Snapchat use while driving.

The Association between Mobile Phone Use and Severe Traffic Injuries: A Case-Control Study from Saudi Arabia

Road traffic injury (RTI) is the third leading cause of death in Saudi Arabia. Using a mobile phone when driving is associated with distracted driving, which may result in RTIs. Because of limited empirical data, we investigated the association between mobile phone use and RTI in injured patients and community controls in Riyadh. Cases were patients admitted to King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) between October 2016 and March 2018 due to RTIs. During admission, mobile phone use at the time of the accident was investigated. The controls were drivers observed at various locations citywide. A logistic regression model was constructed to estimate the association between mobile phone use while driving and sustaining RTIs. We included 318 cases and 1700 controls. For the cases, using a mobile phone was associated with higher severity and prevalence of disability. In addition, using a mobile phone while driving is associated with 44% higher odds of incurring a severe RTI (p = 0.04). Mobile phone use while driving is prevalent in Riyadh and pose a significant threat of disability. In addition, the low prevalence of seatbelt use is alarming and requires significant improvement. Prevention programs may use these findings to educate the public and policymakers and to advocate for increased visibility of enforcement to reduce RTIs and improve population health.

Head motion coefficient-based algorithm for distracted driving detection

Purpose

Concentration is the key to safer driving. Ideally, drivers should focus mainly on front views and side mirrors. Typical distractions are eating, drinking, cell phone use, using and searching things in car as well as looking at something outside the car. In this paper, distracted driving detection algorithm is targeting on nine scenarios nodding, head shaking, moving the head 45° to upper left and back to position, moving the head 45° to lower left and back to position, moving the head 45° to upper right and back to position, moving the head 45° to lower right and back to position, moving the head upward and back to position, head dropping down and blinking as fundamental elements for distracted events. The purpose of this paper is preliminary study these scenarios for the ideal distraction detection, the exact type of distraction.

Design/methodology/approach

The system consists of distraction detection module that processes video stream and compute motion coefficient to reinforce identification of distraction conditions of drivers. Motion coefficient of the video frames is computed which follows by the spike detection via statistical filtering.

Findings

The accuracy of head motion analyzer is given as 98.6 percent. With such satisfactory result, it is concluded that the distraction detection using light computation power algorithm is an appropriate direction and further work could be devoted on more scenarios as well as background light intensity and resolution of video frames.

Originality/value

The system aimed at detecting the distraction of the public transport driver. By providing instant response and timely warning, it can lower the road traffic accidents and casualties due to poor physical conditions. A low latency and lightweight head motion detector has been developed for online driver awareness monitoring.

Neural Comodulation of Independent Brain Processes Related to Multitasking

Distracted driving is regarded as an integrated task requiring different regions of the brain to receive sensory data, coordinate information, make decisions, and synchronize movements. In this paper, we applied an independent modulator analysis (IMA) method to temporally independent electroencephalography (EEG) components to understand how the human executive control system coordinates different brain regions to simultaneously perform multiple tasks with distractions presented in different modalities. The behavioral results showed that the reaction time (RT) in response to traffic events increased while multitasking. Moreover, the RT was longer when the distractor was presented in an auditory form versus a visual form. The IMA results showed that there were performance-related IMs coordinating different brain regions during distracted driving. The component spectral fluctuations affected by the modulators were distinct between the single- and dual-task conditions. Specifically, more modulatory weight was projected to the occipital region to address the additional distracting stimulus in both visual and auditory modality in the dual-task conditions. A comparison of modulatory weights between auditory and visual distractors showed that more modulatory weight was projected to the frontal region during the processing of the auditory distractor. This paper provides valuable insights into the temporal dynamics of attentional modulation during multitasking as well as an understanding of the underlying brain mechanisms that mediate the synchronization across brain regions and govern the allocation of attention in distracted driving.

Problematic Use of Mobile Phones in Australia…Is It Getting Worse?

Rapid technological innovations over the past few years have led to dramatic changes in today's mobile phone technology. While such changes can improve the quality of life of its users, problematic mobile phone use can result in its users experiencing a range of negative outcomes such as anxiety or, in some cases, engagement in unsafe behaviors with serious health and safety implications such as mobile phone distracted driving. The aims of the present study are two-fold. First, this study investigated the current problem mobile phone use in Australia and its potential implications for road safety. Second, based on the changing nature and pervasiveness of mobile phones in Australian society, this study compared data from 2005 with data collected in 2018 to identify trends in problem mobile phone use in Australia. As predicted, the results demonstrated that problem mobile phone use in Australia increased from the first data collected in 2005. In addition, meaningful differences were found between gender and age groups in this study, with females and users in the 18-25 year-old age group showing higher mean Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS) scores. Additionally, problematic mobile phone use was linked with mobile phone use while driving. Specifically, participants who reported high levels of problem mobile phone use, also reported handheld and hands-free mobile phone use while driving.

Fast and furious: A neglected issue in health promotion among young drivers

ISSUES ADDRESSED

This paper investigates the influence of mood while driving, advocates for identifying high-risk groups and detects associations between mood while driving and risky driving behaviours. While commensurate studies regarding aggressive driving have confirmed significant detriments in driving performance, little scholarly research has studied the gaps and opportunities at the intersection of mood and risky driving in young drivers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was implemented using 660 young drivers (17-25 years) from Australia (34.7%) and Colombia (65.3%), who completed the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS). Cluster analysis differentiated young drivers across two groups: high-risk and low-risk driving while influenced by mood. Hierarchical segmentation analysis explored the relationship between driver mood and self-reported risky driving behaviour.

RESULTS

Young drivers reported frequent driving while influenced by mood. The typical risky driving behaviours of young drivers who are emotion-affected are transient violations (eg, speeding) and risky exposure (eg, driving tired).

CONCLUSIONS

Risky driving behaviours that have been found to increase the risk of road injury (speeding, fatigued driving) and to decrease the survivability of road crashes (speeding) are inextricably intertwined with the influence of driver mood upon driving behaviour at an international level. Driver mood is a neglected issue in health promotion programs for young drivers. SO WHAT?: Current health promotion interventions for young drivers safety such as Graduated Driver Licensing may not prevent driving while influenced by mood. Additional strategies are required to minimise the exposure to driving while affected by negative mood.