Title: Impaired and Distracted Driving by South Dakota Youth Lee Axdahl Accident Records Supervisor South D
1Impaired and Distracted Driving by South Dakota
YouthLee AxdahlAccident Records
SupervisorSouth Dakota Office of Highway Safety
2- Vehicles have many safety features
- Seatbelt and shoulder straps
- Air-bags
- Padded dashboards
- Safety glass
- Anti-locking brakes, and
- Collapsible steering columns but
3- Recent years have seen new driving challenges
- Increased traffic congestion on our roads
- Many new technologies are now available for use
in automobiles
- One technology particularly surrounded by debate
is the cell phone (and MP3 players)
4Generally Accepted Distracted Driving Realities
- Multitasking results in multiple tasks competing
for a drivers attentional resources and
- Multitasking while driving results in less
efficient visual search, slower reaction times,
and fewer and shorter eye fixations.
- George Mason University Study
5In Other Words
6Add this to the list and trouble is bound to be
around the corner.
7Is That The Only Problem?
- Another factor is the inability of most young
drivers to adequately assess and respond to risk.
Why?
- The frontal brain lobe is responsible for
cognitive functions that control life-saving
behavior such as hazard anticipation and risk
management. And? - Brain imaging studies show this lobe does not
fully develop until drivers are 25.
8Or as Homer Simpson would say Doh!
9A South Dakota Example
- CRASH REPORT NARRATION
- the driver lost control of the vehicle, entered
the east ditch, crossed the fence line and then
rolled multiple times. The driver, who was
deceased at the scene, was located outside the
vehicle. The crash is believed to have occurred
numerous hours before discovery. - The driver was last seen at approximately 1030
PM the night before.
- 609124 16 Year Old Male
10Fact
- Inexperience behind the wheel is the leading
cause of teenage crashes
- NHTSA
11South Dakota Example 2
- CRASH REPORT NARRATION
- the right rear tire blew out and the driver lost
control. Vehicle began to slide sideways
crossing the oncoming lane of traffic and
entering the north ditch rolling two times. - Back seat passenger was ejected out the back
window sustaining fatal injuries
- 613662 18 Year Old Male
12Fact
- Approximately two thirds of teens killed in
automobile crashes are not wearing seatbelts.
- NHTSA
13South Dakota Example 3
- CRASH REPORT NARRATION
- Vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed
attempting to jump the vehicle on a drainage dip
in the roadway. Vehicle hit the dip and became
airborne. The driver lost control and swerved to
miss a vehicle at the stop sign. - vehicle struck a tree and came to rest on its
roofdriver was partially ejected and died at the
scene
- 614245 - 16 Year Old Male
14Fact
- 16 Year Olds have higher crash rates than drivers
of any other age.
- NHTSA
15South Dakota Example 4
- CRASH REPORT NARRATION
- Vehicle traveling in excess of posted speed limit
and over steered the curve causing vehicle to
skid and then roll three times along the drainage
ditchvehicle then struck the bottom of the
drainage ditch - driver was ejected from the vehicle and found
approximately 80 feet from the roadway
- 701708 19 Year Old Male
16Fact
- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of
death for teenagers.
- NHTSA
17South Dakota Example 5
- CRASH REPORT NARRATION
- driver drifted off the road into the west ditch
for an unknown reason. As unit entered the ditch
it collided with a delineator post. After the
collision with the post, the driver of the
vehicle attempted to bring the unit back onto the
roadway and overcorrected, causing her to lose
control and roll three times, ejecting both
occupants - 709398 16 Year Old Female Killed
- 17 Year Old Male Killed
18Fact
- Statistics conclude that 16 17 year old driver
death rates increase with each additional
passenger.
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
19South Dakota TeenagersSafety Equipment Usage By
Drivers Killed Or Injured In Motor Vehicle Crashes
20South Dakota TeenagersIs The No Drinking
Driving LessonBeing Learned?
21South Dakota TeenagersNot badthe last three
years are below the 13 year fatality average!
22South Dakota TeenagersBut its still them
versus us and the picture isnt encouraging!
23South Dakota TeenagersAnd the year to year
averages are notin drastic flux lessons being
learned?
31.3
15.0
8.7
24You Think Thats Bad?
- Dont even ask about teenagers on motorcycles!
25South Dakota TeenagersPercent Motorcycle
Licenses versus Percent Fatal Injury
Motorcycle Crashes
26South Dakota TeenagersDoing their best to stay
average!
12.3
27Recarte Nunes Research
- Published in March, 2000 by the American
Psychological Association
- Recorded the eye movements of drivers while they
performed verbal and spatial-visual tasks
- Also measured how often each driver checked his
or her side and rear mirrors and the speedometer
28Findings
- During visual-verbal tasks unrelated to driving,
the driver fixated on certain points longer and
glanced less frequently at his/her mirrors and
dashboard instruments - During visual-verbal tasks, the drivers eye
freezes up and the visual inspection window
decreases, affecting peripheral vision and
perception of the environment
29Findings
- When cognitively complex tasks are performed
while driving, the visual inspection window
decreases between 25-40 horizontally, and 40-60
vertically. - Technical term for the phenomena
- TUNNEL VISION
30Findings
- Therefore, the study finds, that the potential of
using a cell phone is one thing (visual task)add
an in-depth conversation requiring considerable
mental effort (verbal task) and an already risky
behavior is compounded
312002 George Mason University Distracted Driving
Study
- Examine the nature and scope of the distracted
driving issue
- To identify and develop strategies that might
help minimize distracted driving
32George Mason University Study
- RESEARCH FINDINGS
- The extent of the distracted driving problem
is not clearly defined, validated, or
determined and terminology is inconsistent
- It is not clear how specific behaviors affect
driving capacities differently in magnitude
or effect
33South Dakota Teen DriverContributing Factors To
Crashes
34South Dakota Teen DriverContributing Factors To
Crashes
35South Dakota Teen DriverContributing Factors To
Crashes
36South Dakota Tasks?
- Define distracted driving for consistency
- As it applies to all drivers?
- As it applies to SDCL?
- As it applies to enforcement?
- Categorize distracted driving incidents to
validate extent of problem
- Cell Phone related?
- MP3, etc related?
- Traffic related?
37South Dakota Tasks?
- Determine methods to educate drivers
- Remedial education for existing drivers?
- Inclusion in Drivers Education program?
- Major media reinforcement
- Legislative or Policy
- Proposed legislation should be supported by
current research
- The fact that Distracted Driving is not an
offense inhibits the ability for enforcement to
cite
38End