Do driver monitoring technologies improve the driving behaviour of distracted drivers? A simulation study to assess the impact of an auditory driver distraction warning device on driving performance

Being distracted while driving is a major cause of road crashes. To help prevent this particular type of crash, new driver monitoring technologies track ocular and head movement and alert drivers when periods of prolonged distraction are detected, thus preventing hazardous situations on the road. In this mixed-factorial multi-level experiment, the behaviour of drivers was measured as they performed a secondary task while being monitored via an auditory Driver Distraction Warning (A-DDW) device which reminded them to look at the road ahead and cease the activity which was the source of distraction. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of this type of DDW device by measuring longitudinal and lateral behaviour in situations where the driver is intentionally distracted for a significant period of time, and when the device repeatedly reminds the driver of his/her primary task. Forty-two participants were randomly stratified into three groups and subjected to the following distraction levels: (i) not distracted (baseline), (ii) distracted, and (iii) distracted but interacting with the A-DDW device. All participants drove in (i) free-flowing and (ii) stable traffic conditions along straight motorway segments. Speed and speed deviation values for distracted drivers were lower than for undistracted ones but they also experienced a significant deterioration in vehicle lateral control. Conversely, drivers assisted by the A-DDW device experienced a considerable improvement in their lateral control even though their speed and speed deviation values were higher. The reaction times of distracted drivers interacting with the A-DDW device deteriorated as revealed in cognitive tests conducted before and after the driving task.