1. Distracted Driving Marlene Markison Associate Administrator
11/9/ :06 PM
Distracted Driving
Marlene Markison
Associate Administrator
Regional Operations & Program Delivery
The issue of distracted driving has been elevated this past year because it represents a growing new threat on our roadways. The Department has taken an aggressive approach to address this problem to keep it from escalating into a major crisis.
© 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.
The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

2. What is Driver Distraction?
Types of distraction
Manual: taking your hands off the wheel
Visual: taking your eyes off the road
Cognitive: taking your mind off the road
Any task may cause multiple types of distraction
Distracted driving can take many forms. It applies to anything that takes your eyes off the road for more than two seconds, your hands off the steering wheel or interrupts your concentration while driving (including carrying a pile of grass on your head!).
However, the use of cell phones or other electronic devices while driving represents a significant and growing concern, particularly texting while driving, since it has grown exponentially in recent years.

3. Fatalities in Crashes with Driver Distraction in 2008
Fatal Crashes
Drivers
Fatalities
5,331 (16%)
5,501 (11%)
5,870 (16%)
Youth is age group with greatest frequency of involvement
16% of all <20 drivers in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving
An estimated 22% of all crash-related injuries involved distraction (General Estimates System)
How big a problem is it?
The number of fatalities is up from 12% of the fatalities in 2004 to 16% in 2008.
NHTSA estimates that 22% of all crash-related injuries involve distraction.
Crash reports
Younger drivers most at risk – but everyone is part of this growing problem
16 percent of all fatal crashes
Of the 33,319 fatal crashes, 5,331 (16 %) involved a driver with distraction – 515,000 injuries
Of the 36, 688 highway fatalities, 5,870 (16%) involved a driver with distraction? Some of these fatalities were pedestrians, M/Cists but the it was the driver that was reported as distracted.  Do we get reports of distracted non-occupants?
Of the 50,009 drivers involved in fatal crashes, 5,501 drivers (11%) were killed because one of the drivers was distracted – maybe not the one killed?
374 peds (9%) and 79 bicyclists were killed in a fatal crash with driver distraction? 4500 total
Observation
About 11 percent of drivers use cell phones at any point in time
Naturalistic studies
Study indicates distraction contributes to 22 percent of crashes and near-crashes
Source: National Center for Statistics and Analysis

4. Actions Taken Secretary LaHood hosted Summit Fall 2009
U.S. DOT has taken action to ban texting or restrict cell phone use in trains, trucks, and interstate buses
Implement U.S. Presidential Executive Order “Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging While Driving,” 10/1/09
Explore developing a training module for U.S. government employees
Global promotion of the executive order
Behavioral
Increase awareness
Evaluate and assess countermeasures
Vehicle
Reduce in-vehicle attention demands
Assess monitoring and warning systems
Continue naturalistic studies

5. Actions Taken States are passing distracted driving laws
DOT has proposed incentives for States to pass distracted driving laws – Requested $50 million in FY2011
Other Partners
Oprah “No Phone Zone Day” – April 30
Allstate X the TXT
Focus Driven
Right now : 6 states, DC, and VI with hand held cell phone laws
23 States, DC, Guam with bans on texting
FY 2011 request asked to take $50 million from 406 for incentive grants for State that enact and enforce laws to prevent distracted driving with a focus on texting bans.
Provide up to $5 million for development and placement of broadcast and print media to enforce state DD laws.
Grant funds could be used for any highway safety activity.
Supporting Oprah's "No Phone Zone Day" are: the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), FocusDriven, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and RADD - the Entertainment Industry's Voice for Road Safety.
X the TXT is a national campaign sponsored by Allstate focused on engaging teens and their parents to pledge not to text and drive
FocusDriven is an advocacy group for victims of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers using cell phones. Its Mission is to support victims of cell phone distracted driving and families of victims, and increase public awareness of the dangers of cell phone distracted driving by putting a human face on the disastrous impact of this behavior, in order to promote corresponding public policies, programs and personal responsibility.

6. NHTSA Distraction Research Plan
Goal: To eliminate distraction-related crashes
To move toward this goal, we have developed an agency-wide research plan, which outlines current and future research projects. Released last week.
Here’s an overview. We have broken the issue down into four key components:
Improve the Understanding of the Problem
Reduce the Workload from Interfaces
Keep Drivers Safe
Recognize Risks and Consequences
Enhance data quality and analysis – (using strategic HS Research program)
2000 car study this summer, 6 sites, 2 years - TRB
Develop test procedures for in-vehicle and nomadic interfaces (carry around with you)
Make device less distracting; bigger font; good/bad nav units
Facilitate deployment of crash avoidance technologies to compensate for distraction
Assess HVE of the law and targeted media campaigns

7. Improve Understanding
Initiate improved police reporting
Summary: Distraction incidence is not consistently reported. This project will look at best practices and improved police reporting.
Expected outcome: Improved training and standards for coding distraction on PARs
Status: Ongoing. Improvements to PARs expected 2012
We know the exact number of distraction crashes – so we need to improve our data. Multiple activities.

8. Improve Understanding
Analyze additional crash data
Summary: NHTSA will use it’s National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Study (NMVCCS) to analyze in more detail distraction-related crashes
Expected outcome: Results of this analysis will help to define research to identify countermeasures
Status: Ongoing, with reports due later in 2010

9. Improve Understanding
Continue observational studies
Summary: NHTSA will continue the National Occupant Protection Use Study (NOPUS), which measures cell phone use
Expected outcome: Annual tracking of cell phone use; enhanced data collection
Status: Ongoing, with annual reports

10. Improve Understanding
Publish protocol for the NOPUS cell phone study
Summary: To allow other organizations to collect similar data, NHTSA will publish the protocol currently used for the NOPUS cell phone study.
Expected outcome: Annual tracking of cell phone use; enhanced data collection
Status: Ongoing, with annual reports

11. Improve Understanding
Plan analyses for the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP)
Summary: This naturalistic study will provide a lot of information on driver behavior; NHTSA is planning the analyses.
Expected outcome: Data analyses will support policy decisions, help identify countermeasures
Status: Ongoing

12. Improve Understanding
Assess use of new technology
Summary: With the rapidly advancing state of technologies, NHTSA needs to review those for infotainment, data collection, and enforcement
Expected outcome: Identification of potential benefits, disbenefits of technology
Status: Ongoing

13. Improve Understanding
Assess cell phone interfaces
Summary: This project will look at drivers’ interactions between three types of phone interfaces: hand-held, hands-free, and integrated
Expected outcome: Identification of potential benefits, disbenefits of technology
Status: Ongoing

14. Improve Understanding
Evaluate distraction from manual entry tasks
Summary: This project will examine the similarities and differences in driver performance when drivers engage in manual secondary tasks
Expected Outcome: estimate of the distraction potential of different manual secondary tasks
Status: Initiated, with completion in 2011

15. Reduce Workload (Distraction) from Interfaces
Develop test procedures to evaluate in-vehicle and nomadic interfaces
Review current Guidelines
Develop distraction and usability metrics
Integrate findings into Guidelines

16. Reduce Workload (Distraction) from Interfaces
Integrate findings
Phase 1: In-vehicle visual-manual interfaces
Refines current Alliance Guidelines
Completion: August 2011
Phase 2: Portable devices
Expands scope of current guidelines
Completion: August 2013
Phase 3: Voice interfaces
Also expands current scope
Completion: August 2014

17. Keep Drivers Safe Improve crash warning interfaces
Summary: The driver-vehicle interface (DVI) is a critical component. The interface should be tailored to the capabilities of the system as well as to the capabilities and limitations of the driving population.
Expected outcome: Evaluation of effectiveness, acceptance of DVI
Status: Ongoing, with completion in 2011

18. Keep Drivers Safe Quantify benefits of crash warning systems
Summary: To date, crash avoidance technology effectiveness can only be estimated. Long-term changes to behavior (i.e., risk compensation) have not been measured.
Expected outcome: Estimate of safety benefits of systems
Status: Planning stages, with completion in 2013

19. Keep Drivers Safe Assess distraction monitoring systems
Summary: Monitoring has been shown to increase traffic safety, distraction monitoring is newer but could offer the same benefit.
Expected outcome: A set of testing protocols to evaluate/compare distraction monitoring to estimate benefits
Status: Ongoing, with completion in 2011

20. Keep Drivers Safe Assess effectiveness of cell phone filters
Summary: NHTSA is planning a research program that would not only verify whether the programs work as designed but investigate whether people will voluntarily use these programs.
Expected outcome: Estimate of effectiveness, willingness to use
Status: In planning, with completion in 2011

21. Recognize Risks and Consequences
Evaluate laws and high-visibility enforcement
Summary: NHTSA is planning to test the high-visibility enforcement model by applying it in a distracted driving demonstration project in two cities
Expected outcome: preliminary indication of the effectiveness of laws and high visibility enforcement
Status: Ongoing. Improvements to PARs expected 2011
Will be tested this year – New demos in Connecticut and New York
Kicked off in early April
Hartford and Syracuse law enforcement will be out in force looking out for distracted drivers during each wave of the cities crackdowns. The demonstration project consists of four waves of high visibility enforcement in April, July, October, and February/April 2011 coupled with strong paid media and earned media campaigns.

22. Recognize Risks and Consequences
Develop targeted media message
Summary: NHTSA will develop and test new targeted media messages to support high visibility enforcement demonstration programs
Expected outcome: Support of high-visibility enforcement program, media available to public
Status: Ongoing, with results in 2011

23. PHONE IN ONE HAND. TICKET IN THE OTHER.

24. Recognize Risks and Consequences
Draft and publish sample law for use by states
Summary: NHTSA developed a model law for use by states considering a texting ban
Expected outcome: Publication of sample law
Status: Completed

25. Recognize Risks and Consequences
Develop Driver Distraction Program Resource through World Health Organization
Summary: The DOT is working with the U.S. State Department to provide global leadership and technical assistance regarding driver distraction.
Expected outcome: Adoption of effective policies, programs worldwide to reduce distraction, crashes
Status: Ongoing, with completion in 2011

26. Recognize Risks and Consequences
Assess potential of education and training programs
Summary: This project will assess how well novice driver training on the risks of multitasking transfer to real driving, and how training programs can increase hazard recognition
Expected outcome: Information will enhance education and training programs Status: Ongoing, with completion in 2011

27. Distraction.gov
Distracted driving is a moving target: it will continue to evolve as new technology and electronic systems are developed for vehicles
You can keep on top of new developments by logging on the US DOT distraction website. It contains a wealth of information on laws, research and national events. YOU CAN HELP
Legislation - Work to encourage state legislatures to pass primary anti-texting / hand held cell phone use bans in every state.
Enforcement — Support local law enforcement’s efforts to seek compliance with state’s texting and cell phone use laws. Publicize your support of law enforcement’s efforts
Public education — Generate awareness and remind others that the price for not paying attention to the road is too high, and that we all have a part to play in making sure everyone keeps their eyes and mind on the road and hands on the wheel.
Web site has materials for “Put it Down Campaign.”
The new campaign includes a national strategy, key messages, a logo and marketing materials to promote the message to simply Put it Down! We encourage you to visit the Get Involved section for more information on starting your own Put it Down campaign to help spread the word.