Exploring the prevalence of in-vehicle driver distraction in moving traffic: A pilot study

Abstract

This pilot study sought to examine the prevalence of in-vehicle driver distractions at four locations around Adelaide. Specialised video cameras were used to record drivers and their behaviour inside their vehicle, while they were driving in moving traffic. From each of the four locations, 30-minute samples of video were extracted, analysed and coded, to determine whether drivers were distracted or not, and to document the nature of any distraction. In the two-hour sample period, across the four sites, 920 drivers were observed, of whom 8.9% (n=82) were engaged in distracted behaviours. Twenty-three drivers (2.5%) were observed engaging in mobile phone use while driving. This included seven drivers holding a mobile phone (0.8%), eight drivers with a mobile phone in their lap (0.9%) and five drivers who were touching a mobile phone in a cradle (0.5%). Only one driver was observed talking on their phone (phone to ear) while two drivers were observed actively touching/texting on their phone while driving. While this pilot study was not intended to record observations from a representative sample of South Australian roads, it does give insights into the prevalence of distracting behaviours at specific locations. Importantly, the study demonstrates that there is technology suitable for observing distracted driving behaviour among drivers in moving traffic on public roads in South Australia, which could potentially be deployed for a larger, more representative study.