Studying crash avoidance maneuvers prior to an impact considering different types of driver’s distractions

Abstract Performing maneuvers such as braking and lane changing can hinder the occurrence of a crash. The driver tends to escape from the crash occurrence or reduce its severity by doing the maneuver, so finding the factors affecting this type of maneuver can help the driver to react better. This work aims to discover the effect of distraction-related factors on the performance of a crash avoidance maneuver. In order to pave the way for a more thorough comprehension of this matter, variables related to the characteristics of the driver, road, crash, vehicle, and environmental properties are also considered in the analysis. The used data is based on General Estimate System 2010 dataset, a dataset related to crashes which have occurred in the USA in 2010, to develop a Mixed Logit Model for crashes. Also, performing a maneuver is modeled by using a binary dependent variable. Then, the significant variables are found, and factors affecting driver reaction are analyzed. Afterwards, the pseudo-elasticity is measured, which demonstrates the effect of each variable in performing the maneuver. The results show the effect of each category (characteristics of driver, vehicle, crash, road, and the environmental properties) on performing a maneuver. For instance, when there is more than one car engaged in a crash, the probability of performing a maneuver reduces. Also, it is more probable that younger drivers perform a maneuver before the impact; however, older drivers do not usually conduct any maneuver. Additionally, using older vehicles, driving during weekends and on the road with curvature, on two-way paths, and on multi-lane paths can increase the probability of performing a maneuver. Among distraction-related factors, the result shows that cognitive distraction, in-vehicle activities, outside events, and using cellphone have significant negative effects on performing a maneuver. The results of pseudo-analysis show that using cellphones diminish the probability of conducting a maneuver by 66.4 %. Also, lack of consciousness and fatigue have the most negative impact on conducting a maneuver.