01519000

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/2434-16

http://scholar.google.com...dler&publication_year=2014

Studies that use direct observation to investigate drivers’ cell phone use have been conducted by NHTSA since 2002. The limitations of these studies were identified in a naturalistic driving study conducted at the University of Michigan. In direct observation studies of drivers’ cell phone use, observations are typically conducted at intersections, providing the observer with enough time to accurately observe the behavior but limiting data to one location along the roadway. This may be a limitation of large-scale observation usage studies, which, in turn, translates into a research hypothesis that when stopped at intersections, drivers use their cell phones more frequently. Through a combination of in-field observers and video data collection, more than 3,500 vehicles were observed to determine the difference in cell phone use between drivers upstream and those at the intersection. Signalized intersections were found to have a higher rate of text messaging cell phone use, with the highest percentage observed at red lights. Drivers’ text messaging rates increase with the amount of time spent in stopped conditions, such as red lights. The presence of an observer was also found to have an insignificant impact on drivers’ cell phone use. Effective observation of drivers’ cell phone use is essential for understanding the magnitude of the problem and measuring the effectiveness of campaigns. This study confirms the current methods used while providing recommendations on ways to improve the data quality of future observations.

01545262

14-3328

English

pp 135–139

2014

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309295222

Print

Figures (5) ; Photos; References (6) ; Tables (1)

Cellular telephones; Data collection; Data quality; Distraction; Drivers; Field studies; Intersections; Text messaging; Video cameras

Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 27 2014 3:09PM

• Automatic Generation and Population of a Graphics-Based Driving Simulator: Use of Mobile Mapping Data for Behavioral Testing of Drivers
• Bicycles in Urban Areas: Review of Existing Methods for Modeling Behavior
• Cell Phone Resting Locations: Use of the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study to Determine the Most Frequent In-Vehicle Cell Phone Placement and Containers
• Combining Driving Performance Information in an Index Score: A Simulated Curve-Taking Experiment
• Compensatory Behavior of Drivers When Conversing on a Cell Phone: Investigation with Naturalistic Driving Data
• Effect of Different Distractions on Driving Performance for Drivers Using a Touch Screen
• Evaluation of Truncated Arrow per Lane Guide Signs
• Factors Affecting Drivers’ Cell Phone Use Behavior: Implications from a Naturalistic Study
• Integrating Behavioral Models in Network Operations: Evaluating Traveler Information and Demand Management for Weather-Related Events
• Microscopic Simulation Model for Pedestrian Flow at Signalized Crosswalks
• Novel Vehicle Motion Model Considering Driver Behavior for Trajectory Prediction and Driving Risk Detection
• Prediction of Drivers’ Speed Behavior on Rural Motorways Based on an Instrumented Vehicle Study
• Susceptibility to Driver Distraction Questionnaire: Development and Relation to Relevant Self-Reported Measures
• Traffic-Calming Measures Affecting Perceived Speed in Approaching Bends: On-Field Validated Virtual Environment
• Use of Drivers’ Jerk Profiles in Computer Vision–Based Traffic Safety Evaluations
• Use of Naturalistic Driving Data to Characterize Driver Behavior in Freeway Shockwaves