The Driver and Pedestrian Distraction Challenge Diane Wigle Safety Countermeasures Division National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) April 29, 2008

What is driver and pedestrian distraction? Distraction is any activity that shifts attention away from the primary task: walking or driving Distraction contributes to pedestrian/motor vehicle crashes when it occurs at a time when the driver or pedestrian is required to identify and respond to an unexpected hazard or a changing situation “Inattention” refers to not just distraction, but also things like fatigue and impairment

Types of distraction –Cognitive: thinking about something other than the road/driving or walking in traffic –Visual: taking your eyes off the road, not watching for turning vehicles –Manual: taking your hands off the wheel, walking out between two parked cars Any task may cause multiple types of distraction

Examples of distractions for drivers and pedestrians Technology: cell phones, PDAs, text messaging, navigation systems, iPods, DVDs Social: talking to passengers, talking to fellow walkers, tending to children in back seat Other: eating, grooming, reading, reaching for an object (in the car, in a briefcase, etc.)

Recent research – 100-Car 100-Car (Naturalistic) Study –Instrumented extensively 100 vehicles for one year, continuously recording drivers –42,300 hours of driving data collected/ ~2 M miles of driving –109 primary drivers, 241 total drivers –Ages –82 crashes and collisions (15 police reported)

Recent research – 100-Car 100-Car study results: –Reaching for a moving object increased risk by almost 9 times –Reading increased risk by 3.4 times –Applying makeup increased risk by 3 times –Dialing a hand-held device increased risk by almost 3 times –Talking/listening to a hand held device increased risk by about 1.3 times

Alcohol Involvement 2006 Alcohol involvement — either for the driver or for the pedestrian — was reported in 49 percent of the traffic crashes that resulted in pedestrian fatalities. Of the pedestrians involved, 35 percent had a BAC of.08) or higher. Of the drivers involved in fatal crashes, only 14 percent had a BAC of.08 or higher, less than one-half the rate for the pedestrians. In 6 percent of the crashes, both the driver and the pedestrian had a BAC of.08 or higher.

3 E’s and Community Involvement Key Enforcement –Enforce laws pertaining to vehicle operator and pedestrian –Improve crash reporting –Enforce laws to reduce impaired walking (Server, Public Drunkenness, Public Nuisance, Loitering, etc.) Education –Educate both vehicle operator and pedestrians on safe roadway behaviors –Conspicuity –Impairment Engineering –Implement engineering solutions where needed

Summary With the increased number of in-vehicle and hand-held technologies, driver and pedestrian distraction is becoming more common Need to address problem at community level Need to use 3 E’s