3965 - DISTRACTION AND DRIVING PERFORMANCE: THE ROLE OF PERCEPTUAL LOAD AND INDIVIDUAL VULNERABILITY

Session: 3963 - ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE ROAD USERS TO CREATE SAFER AND MORE INCLUSIVE MOBILITY SYSTEMS
AUTHORS:
Caffò Alessandro (Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Studies of Bari ~ Bari ~ Italy) , Traficante Sergio (Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Studies of Bari "Aldo Moro" ~ Bari ~ Italy) , Tinella Sergio (Department of Human, Philosophical and Educational Sciences, University of Studies of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy ~ Salerno ~ Italy) , Caffò Alessandro (Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Studies of Bari "Aldo Moro", ~ Bari ~ Italy)
Abstract text:
Distracted driving is a leading cause of road accidents, significantly impairing vehicle
control and driving performance. The impact of distraction can vary depending on both
environmental and individual factors. The present study investigated the impact of a)
perceptual load and b) susceptibility to distraction on simulated driving performance
outcomes, namely velocity, lateral velocity, lateral position, and steering angle. Thirtyfour
young participants were engaged in two simulated driving scenarios, with high and
low perceptual load, respectively. A mixed factors ANOVA was conducted, with Time
(3min, 6min, 9min) and Perceptual load (High/Low) as within-subjects factors, and
Gender (Males/Females) and Susceptibility to distraction (High/Low) as betweensubjects
factors. Only non-nested and highest order significant effects are reported.
Regarding velocity, two interaction effects for perceptual load, time, and gender
(p=0.014, η2p=0.133) emerged, indicating an increased difference with respect to
perceptual load over time favoring males, and for time, gender and susceptibility
(p=0.014, η2p =0.133), indicating an increased difference with respect to susceptibility
over time favoring females, emerged. For lateral velocity, an interaction between time,
gender and susceptibility (p=0.016, η2p =0.128), indicating for males an increased
difference with respect to susceptibility over time, was found. Two main effects of time
(p=0.016, η2p =0.129), favoring second time block over the third, and gender (p=0.038,
η2p =0.136), favoring males, were observed for lateral position. For steering angle, an
interaction effect of perceptual load and time (p<.001, η2p =0.311) emerged, indicating
increasing steering instability over time under a high perceptual load, along with a
significant interaction between time, gender, and susceptibility (p=0.047, η2p =0.097),
indicating that female gender and low susceptibility increased steering instability over
time. These findings highlight the importance of considering both individual differences
and environmental factors, in understanding distraction in driving performance.
Interventions aimed at reducing distractions could benefit from being tailored to specific
drivers' susceptibility and situational demands, enhancing road safety in diverse
contexts.