Differences in Off-Road Glances: Effects on Young Drivers’ Performance

Young drivers display more risk-taking behavior than other age groups. Performing distracting tasks is one such risky behavior that is observed among young drivers. However, due to inexperience, young drivers may not be able to appropriately compensate for the effects of distractions. A driving simulator study with 53 young drivers (aged 18–21) was conducted to assess the level of engagement with an in-vehicle secondary task. A cluster analysis revealed three groups of drivers that differed based on eye glance behavior and driving performance: drivers with low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk behavior. A subset of these drivers was provided with feedback to help modulate their distracting activities with the riskiest group benefitting most from feedback as indicated by enhanced glance behavior and driving performance. The findings have implications for developing better crash countermeasures to mitigate the effects of distraction.

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