Excerpt from Paper

Driver inattention or distraction (inattention related to a specific activity) has long been recognized as a contributing factor in automobile accidents. In recent years, the increase in mobile and in vehicle information systems (IVIS) has led to increased scrutiny on the effect of these technologies on driver behavior. Like other aspects of traffic safety, there are many different perspectives from which to view the issues of inattentive and distracted driving. Human factors research has traditionally focused on measuring driver performance during the use of various technologies. While assessing driver performance in a research setting can provide useful data, it is also important to consider various aspects of on-road driving behavior when assessing traffic safety, individual crashes, and public policy.

There are many different stakeholders in the domain of driving and traffic safety, including highway safety agencies, law enforcement agencies, state and federal governments, parties involved in vehicle-related litigation, vehicle manufacturers, drivers, pedestrians, passengers, general transportation or public safety agencies/organizations, and mobile or in-vehicle device manufacturers. The goal of this paper is to provide some broad human factors perspectives on driving from which various stakeholders in traffic safety can make more informed judgments.