Human Factors The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society · 2009 · 390 citations · 22 references
EngineeringAutomotive EngineeringMobile ComputingVehicle Safety EngineeringVehicle TestingDriving AssessmentRoad SafetyTraffic Injury PreventionTraffic SafetyDistraction During DrivingDriver BehaviorDriver DistractionDriving Simulator AssessmentDual-task ParadigmsHuman Factors In DrivingLateral ControlText Messaging Communication
In the past decade, studies have shown that talking on a cell phone negatively impacts driving behavior, but the effect of text messaging on simulated driving performance remains unclear. This study aims to determine how text messaging affects simulated driving performance. Forty participants performed driving alone and driving while texting in a high‑fidelity simulator. Text messaging while driving slowed responses to braking lights, impaired forward and lateral control, increased crash rates, and produced a greater negative impact than conversing on a cell phone.
Objective: This research aims to identify the impact of text messaging on simulated driving performance. Background: In the past decade, a number of on-road, epidemiological, and simulator-based studies reported the negative impact of talking on a cell phone on driving behavior. However, the impact of text messaging on simulated driving performance is still not fully understood. Method: Forty participants engaged in both a single task (driving) and a dual task (driving and text messaging) in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Results: Analysis of driving performance revealed that participants in the dual-task condition responded more slowly to the onset of braking lights and showed impairments in forward and lateral control compared with a driving-only condition. Moreover, text-messaging drivers were involved in more crashes than drivers not engaged in text messaging. Conclusion: Text messaging while driving has a negative impact on simulated driving performance. This negative impact appears to exceed the impact of conversing on a cell phone while driving. Application: The results increase our understanding of driver distraction and have potential implications for public safety and device development.
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