There has been a schism developing in the distraction research over the past five years or so. Researchers in one camp are learning more and more about workload and cognitive distraction, and finding better ways to measure the more subtle potential effects of such distraction. Researchers in the other camp have been collecting more and more data about what behavior actually leads to crashes, and what is becoming very clear is that glances away from the road at the wrong time are really what leads to most crashes. So, does cognitive distraction exist (in that it can be measured in a lab)? Yes. Does it lead to a signification portion of crashes in the real world? Well, theres no evidence of that yet. My guess, which hasnt changed in the past 5 years or so, is that cognitive distraction, carrying on a conversation with a person on phone or with SIRI, probably should be avoided in high visual demand situations, traversing streets with pedestrians, bikes, traffic signals, and lots of cars, where unexpected things are likely to happen. This is because the key detrimental affect of cognitive distraction is missing unexpected visual targets. If you are just in a following situation on a highway, then it is just keep your eyes on the road, and arguing with SIRI is really less of an issue.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 19:45:40 +0000