Naturalistic Driving Observations of Manual and Visual–Manual Interactions with Navigation Systems and Mobile Phones While Driving

Abstract

This paper discusses a naturalistic driving study on the use of mobile phones and navigation systems while driving. Manual interactions with these devices while driving can cause distraction from the driving task and reduce traffic safety. In this study 21 subjects were observed for 5 weeks. Their behavior was logged by four cameras, a Global Positioning System sensor, and a number of additional sensors. Results are presented on the durations and frequencies of manual interactions with the mobile phone and navigation system. Different manual subtasks with different levels of visual interaction are discussed, as well as how these interactions relate to driving speed. Results show that participants spent on average 1% of their driving time interacting with the navigation system and 4% of their driving time interacting with the mobile phone, excluding mobile phone conversations. For the mobile phone, 48% of the interactions took longer than 15 s; for the navigation system it was 40%. The average duration of a visual–manual subtask for the navigation system and the mobile phone was not significantly different when the task was performed while driving or while the vehicle was standing still. Exploratory analysis of vehicle speed suggests that drivers do not seem to adjust their speed while performing a visual–manual task. The results are discussed in relation to traffic safety and recommendations for future research.

Naturalistic Driving Study in Brazil: An Analysis of Mobile Phone Use Behavior while Driving

“…The values found in this study resemble those of other international NDS, highlighting the seriousness of MPU. International comparisons indicate the average time spent engaged in visual-manual MPU (I 1 ) of 28.46 s ( SD = 47.71 s) is similar to the average time of 31 s found in a Netherlands naturalistic study [ 16 ] and the average time of 30 s found in a North American naturalistic study carried out in Detroit, MI [ 13 ]. For the German study, the I 1 value was 46 s [ 18 ].…”

“…[ 46 ]. The average percentage of trips with MPU while driving (I 2 ) of 58.71% ( SD = 25.80%) was much higher than the value of 13% found in a Swedish NDS [ 20 ], higher than that found in two studies in the Netherlands, an older one with 40% [ 16 ] and a more recent one with 32% [ 17 ]. However, the present Brazilian result (I 2 ) is similar to the results of the German NDS that found MPU in 56% of the trips [ 18 ].…”

“…In the United States, data collected from 108 drivers for 6 weeks as part of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems Field Operational Test was analyzed [ 13 ]. The Netherlands study [ 16 ] included data from 21 drivers for a period of 5 to 6 weeks using 5 instrumented vehicles. In Germany, a study was based on data from 49 drivers for a three-month period in Germany, as part of the EuroFOT project (European Field Operational Test) [ 18 ].…”

“…The lack of reliable data on MPU while driving imposes important barriers to evidence-based decision making in LMICs. To address this shortcoming, the prevalence and risks of MPU while driving have been increasingly studied using naturalistic methods in countries such as the United States [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ], the Netherlands [ 16 , 17 ], Germany [ 18 ], Sweden [ 19 , 20 ], Finland [ 21 ], Australia [ 22 ] and China [ 23 ].…”

Look where you have to go! A field study comparing looking behaviour at urban intersections using a navigation system or a printed route instruction

“…A recent naturalistic driving study showed that manual interaction with the navigation system accounts for approximately 1% of total driving time (Christoph, van Nes, & Knapper, 2013). According to Green (1999), it takes 1-2.5 min to enter a destination.…”