Recording and Evaluation Procedure of Drivers’ Distraction in Accordance with Driver’s Characteristics in High Speed Arterials

Abstract

Over the last years, distracted driving constitutes a considerably increasing road safety problem with disastrous results and it possesses a leading position among the accidents causes. The present study deals with driver’s distraction due to out of the vehicle factors as well as factors related to the driver such as age, gender, driving experience etc. Considering exterior factors as the most significant, we can group them in four categories: built roadway, situational entities, the natural environment, and the built environment. Regarding the fourth category, it is related to the wide variety of civil infrastructure, the commercial land use combined with the high vehicle speeds. All these contribute to the setup of a very dangerous environment by increasing driver’s distraction and inattention. This research is based on a medium scale experimental procedure which took place in three urban freeways in Greece, using a sample of 77 drivers. The distraction of the driver’s attention is evaluated via a continuous recording of his gaze which acts as the main indicator regarding driver’s performance. The main objective of this paper is to assess the side effects of roadside advertising and overloaded informational signs to driver’s distraction and inattention. The results of this type of research procedures are very useful as a tool to prevent the forthcoming pressure for more and more billboards and trademarks on the roads as well as to encourage the adaptation of more precise regulations with regard to the road infrastructure, the placement of roadside elements, etc.

Keywords: Driving, Distraction, Advertising, Billboards, Naturalistic, Research

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe100704