Driver Interface Driver Distraction Links

Driver Distraction Links

"Driver Distraction" has quickly become a new buzzword in automotive circles as movements to restrict the use cell phones while driving have been contemplated by city councils and state legislatures. With more and more complex vehicle systems and mobile devices hitting the market daily, drivers can quickly become overloaded. The UMTRI Human Factors Driver Interface group has been dedicated to researching issues regarding this topic, and this page hopes to provide a list of other organizations and sites also working on or dedicated to the topic of distracted drivers.

NHTSA U.S. government

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/include/crash-avoidance/DriverDistraction/

The site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, This site contains the following:

Remarks from a public hearing on driver distraction (held in the summer of 2000) include some very direct comments from Rosalyn Millman, then Deputy Administrator.
Information from an Internet Forum on Driver Distraction held in the summer of 2000 (including technical papers, comments for the public, and the results of and Internet survey on distraction.
A summary of that meeting.
A NHTSA report summarizing the research on wireless communication (really cell phones) saying the jury is still out.
A NTTHSA report describing research on phones and navigation systems.

National Council of State Legislatures

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/esnr/2000cell.htm

This site provides information on the status of state and local legislation on cell phone safety as of the year 2000.

USF

http://www.cutr.eng.usf.edu/its/mobile_phone_text.htm

A paper summarizing phones and driving which is not often cited elsewhere.

National Police Agency

http://www.npa.go.jp/

The National Police Agency of Japan. This site is in Japanese, but has some information regarding cell phone-induced and navigation system-induced crashes.

CarTalk

http://cartalk.cars.com/About/Distraction/

This is the site of Car Talk radio program, a popular program about car repair on National Public Radio. There is a section on cell phones that presents arguments against using cell phones and driving as well as summaries of the literature. Links to key sites on this topic are provided as well as information on how to obtain the "Drive now, talk later" bumper sticker and stories of device-induced crashes. Car Talk also has some information on telematics, but the quality is lower than that of the cell phone area.

Patti Pena

http://www.geocities.com/morganleepena/

Patti Pena's daughter was killed in a cell phone-induced crash. She has become an advocate for restrictions on cell phone use while driving. This site provides arguments supporting those constraints, advocacy information, and other related information.