|
Human
Injury Prevention for Drowsy & Distracted Driving
VRTC
- Intelligent Transportation Systeme (ITS) Research
Volpe - Safety
Vehicle Using Safety Vehicle Using Adaptive Interface Technology - SAVE-IT
|
|
|
Congressional
Testimony - Driver Distraction
Statement of L. Robert Shelton, Executive Director, National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration before the Transportation Subcommittee
of the Committee on Appropriations, United States House Of Representative
- May 9, 2001
|
|
NHTSA held a Public Meeting and Internet
Forum that focused on the potential safety implications associated with
driver distraction while using advanced in-vehicle technologies that
allow drivers to phone, fax, E-mail, obtain route guidance, view infrared
images on a head-up display, operate multimedia entertainment systems,
or use the Internet.
Although the Internet Forum is now closed for comments, interested persons
can read the technical papers and other contributions that had been
made by researchers as well as the general public, through the link
below.
If you would like to submit your comments about driver distraction
to NHTSA, please send them to the docket we have set up for this purpose
at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit/
The docket number is NHTSA-1999-6270
The public meeting was held on Tuesday, July 18, 2000, at which representatives
of the public, industry, government, and safety groups were invited
to share viewpoints, information, and recommendations regarding strategies
and research to help minimize the safety consequences of distraction
from these in-vehicle technologies. Information about the public meeting
can be found in several of the links below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This 81 page report summarizes the July
5- August 11, 2000 virtual conference NHTSA sponsored to focus on
the risks associated with driver distraction when using various in-vehicle
electronic technologies. The report summarizes the technical research
and public comments submitted to the forum.
|
|
|
This report describes results of several
meetings of technical experts to identify research initiatives that
could help advance our understanding of the driver distraction safety
problem and possible solutions.
|
|
|
The wireless communications industry
is perhaps matched only by the personal computer field in the rate
at which new products and features are being introduced to the marketplace.
In the two years since the research for this report was initiated,
the technology has changed dramatically and what was once a novelty,
used primarily by businesses, has now become commonplace among the
masses. Today, cellular telephones are owned by more than 50 million
Americans and new technological breakthroughs have seen a migration
from analog to digital architectures along with the recent introduction
of "Personal Communications Services (PCS)" as a competitor to the
cellular market. Driven by these developments, new capabilities beyond
voice communications are being made available at an accelerated rate,
compelling the user to upgrade to palm-size devices that allow activities
such as checking of e-mail, "surfing the net," receiving stock quotes
- from the classroom, the beach or perhaps from our vehicles.
|
|
|
Concerns have been raised in recent years
about the distraction potential of Intelligent Transportation Systems
(ITS) technologies including driver information systems such as route
navigation systems. Results for this reserach suggest voice recognition
technology is a viable alternative to visual-manual destination entry
while driving.
|
|
|
Elizabeth N. Mazzae, MSE
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Vehicle Research and Test Center
East Liberty, OH
Thomas A. Ranney, Ph.D. Transportation Research Center Inc.
East Liberty, OH
Ginger S. Watson, Ph.D. and Judith A. Wightman, MA University of Iowa, National Advanced Driving Simulator,
Iowa City, IA
|
