The primary objective of this effort is to employ a high fidelity simulator for a small pilot study to assess the impact of internal distractions on traffic safety. While all vehicle distractions have the potential to endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety, distractions internal to the driver (i.e., mindlessness, being lost-in-thought, mind wandering) can be defined as “the decoupling of attention from the task at hand coincident with a shift in focus to internal thought processes.” Recent studies estimate that internally-distracted driving is the least understood and most deadly form of distracted driving: 62% of all driving fatality cases involving distractions are “internal.” By contrast, the second deadliest source of distraction, cell phone usage, accounts for 12% of fatalities. Internal Distraction is often unintentional, and can last from a split second to numerous minutes, and while driving, has been shown to occur most frequently during low-stimulus drives. Regardless of content, length, or intensity, whenever perception and attention are decoupled, the risk of “looking but not seeing” increases, along with the likelihood of driver error. Previous research in this area has documented impairments in driver performance while internally distracted, however the reliability with which internal distraction was “induced” in simulation remains a point of contention. Most simulator-based research that has analyzed the topic employs a “straight road, car following” model to induce mind wandering. In this study, we employ a Route Familiarity scenario coupled with an Unusual Uses Task (UUT) to induce a state of internal distraction while driving. Our novel multi-measure assessment includes: self-report, evaluator observation, and simulator performance measurement (e.g., lane position, speed, following distance). Physiological metrics (e.g., facial expression, eye pupil dilation) with on-board cameras are captured for future analysis. Ultimately, the outcomes of this investigation could lead to countermeasures (e.g., vehicle technologies, improved practices in road geometry, signage, targeted training) that mitigate negative driving outcomes resulting from internal distraction.
