Distraction has an important role in road traffic accidents. It is estimated that road users’ distraction contributes to about 10-30% of road accidents in the European Union (DG MOVE, 2015). The continuous increase of sources of distraction while driving, especially the increasing diffusion of electronic devices and the massive use of mobile phones, might lead to an increase of the road accidents caused by distracted road users. Distraction can be defined as a diversion of attention away from activities critical for safe driving toward a competing activity (Lee et al., 2008). Distracted drivers are still alert but their attention is focussed on other activities than driving. Activities like talking on the mobile phone, reading/typing messages, operating a GPS, talking to a passenger, eating, and drinking are all potentially distracting activities. These activities might affect the essential aspects of driving a vehicle and increase the risk of having an accident. Distracted drivers swerve more, which indicates diminished control over the vehicle; have longer reaction times; miss information from the road environment; and make more errors while driving (SWOV, 2013a). The use of the mobile phone while driving is one of the most important sources of road traffic distraction. Talking, dialling a number, reading or sending text messages or emails, and performing other tasks like searching on the web or social media networking have negative effects on driving behaviour and increase the risk of accident. In the US, the National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that a minimum of 27% of crashes in 2013 involved drivers talking (21%) or texting (6%) on cell phones (NSC, 2015). Using a mobile phone while driving involves visual, auditory, manual and cognitive distraction. Drivers talking on a hand-held mobile phone are about four times more likely to have an accident while driving (WHO, 2015). Using a hands-free mobile phone has no significant advantages because it also causes cognitive distraction — the most dangerous type of distraction. Like drivers using hand-held mobile phones, drivers using hands-free devices also have a tendency to ‘look at’ but not ‘see’ objects, and are more likely to not see relevant information from the road. They tend to miss exits, go through red lights and stop signs, and miss other important information from the road. Furthermore, the reaction time, which involves attention resources and information processing, is longer during hands-free phone conversations while driving (NSC, 2012). Reading or sending text messages or emails while driving, which also requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, is becoming an increasing source of distraction, mainly among young drivers. In the US, the percentage of drivers until 24 years old visibly manipulating hand-held devices while driving has increased from 0.3% in 2005 to 4.8% in 2014 (from 0.2% to 2.2% among all drivers) (NHTSA, 2015). While texting, drivers spend long periods without looking to the road, which has a huge impact on the visual distraction and increases the risk of being in an accident (Olson et al., 2009). Cyclists and pedestrians are also affected by distraction. The increasing use of portable music player devices and mobile phones has influenced the behaviours of these road users, increasing the risk of being involved in accidents (SWOV, 2013b). Fatigue while driving is another problem that can endanger the safety of road users. It can result in both cognitive and motor function impairment, which, while driving, can lead to increased reaction times, reduce attention, poorer psychometric coordination, and less efficient information processing. This condition can compromise the drivers’ ability to control their vehicle. The amount of time spent carrying out a particular task — for example driving for long hours without interruption — is one of the most important causes of fatigue. Other causes are the lack of sleep, biorhythm, the monotony of the task, and individual characteristics like age, medical condition, or the use of medicines, alcohol, or drugs (SWOV, 2012). This thematic ESRA report aims at describing self-declared behaviours and attitudes related to distraction and fatigue of all kind of road users in 17 European countries. Self-declared unsafe behaviours, its acceptability, risk perception, and attitudes towards those behaviours are studied at the level of Europe as a whole, and individually in each of the 17 countries participating in the study. Some of the ESRA questions have already been used in the SARTRE4 survey, allowing for an assessment of the development in the perspective of previous years. Some others are slightly different or new and can be considered as a first benchmark for future comparison and monitoring across Europe. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting