Adaptive strategy changes as a function of task demands: a study of car drivers

Abstract

When drivers perform additional tasks while driving, research shows conflicting results: primary driving performance may deteriorate but adaptive changes such as reducing driving speed have also been noted. We hypothesized that the nature of the secondary task may be important: drivers may give more priority to tasks that serve goals of the driving task itself, for example route finding, than tasks not directly relevant for driving, for example tuning the radio. The main objective of the present driving simulator study was to test this hypothesis. Twenty subjects performed two different subsidiary tasks while driving through two levels of traffic density: a working memory (WM) task and a map reading (MAP) task. It was hypothesized that in high task demand situations, the WM task, irrelevant for the driving task, would be neglected more than the MAP task. The results confirmed the hypothesis: in MAP conditions, the WM task was indeed neglected, but map reading resulted in more swerving, indicating that the subjects looked at the map despite the high task demands. It is concluded that drivers will be highly motivated to get route information, and RG systems should therefore present their information in a readily understandable format.

Exploring the mechanisms of distraction from in-vehicle technology: The development of the PARRC model

“…With increasing levels of dangerous driving convictions, this line needs to be clearer to drivers (Cnossen et al, 2004;.…”

“…The main goal of the driver is, ultimately, to reach the destination safely (Cnossen et al, 2004), with behaviour regulated to achieve this goal (Groeger, 2000). Technology has expanded the potential goals available to drivers, e.g.…”

The Effects of Dual-Task Interference and Response Strategy on Stop or Go Decisions to Yellow Light Changes

“…Furthermore, participants seemed to place a higher priority on the stop/go task since the brake first strategy occurred more often than the pedestrian first strategy. Participants may have preferred the brake first strategy to protect driving performance from the pedestrian task, which was not in direct service of the driving task (e.g., Cnossen, Meijman, & Rothengatter, 2004). High priority distractions that directly serve the driving task (e.g., destination entry) may be more likely to cause central processing bottlenecks and interfere with driving compared to distractions of lower priority.…”

The importance of task duration and related measures in assessing the distraction potential of in-vehicle tasks

“…Cnossen, Meijman and Rothengatter [30] reported that drivers were highly motivated to get route information while driving to the detriment of their driving performance in high demand driving situations. Resumability implies that a driver may string a task out over some long period of time which is unrepresentative of typically motivated human behaviour.…”