April 2011

1. Distraction Distractions while driving cause accidents • Distractions affect the information you receive, and your reactions to it: • They draw attention away from the driving task • They delay recognition of safety threats • They can impair effective control of the vehicle • An insurance industry survey revealed that ~75% of all drivers engage in activities that take their attention away from the road • Several studies indicate that distractions are a factor in more than 25% (possibly as many as 50%) of all vehicle accidents Types of Distraction • Cognitive – thinking about something other than the specifics of the current driving task • Visual – rubbernecking or staring to get a better view of something or someone outside the vehicle • Auditory – listening to a radio chat show, or a passenger • Physical – taking hands off wheel, e.g. to adjust the heating, change radio station, take a drink of water April 2011 How to manage Distraction • Minimise the sources of physical/visual/auditory distraction • Plan your route, programme the GPS in advance • Switch the phone off and use your rest breaks • Get comfortable, adjust the seat/mirrors etc • Avoid drinks in vehicles • Minimise the sources of mental distraction • Assess your mental state before you start (alert?) • Get your brain in gear, focus on driving • Devote your full-time attention to the driving task (part of the work activity) • Maintain your mental concentration • Do a mental or verbal driving commentary to yourself, repeat periodically e.g. every 30 minutes, or when you notice you’ve become distracted • Keep your eyes moving - actively scan for hazards and then analyse them – what could happen, how could it affect you, how should you react.