Crash risk

Banks, S., Catcheside, R, Lack, L., Grunstein, R. R., and McEvoy, R. D. 2004. Low levels of alcohol impair driving simulator performance and reduce perception of crash risk in partially sleep deprived subjects. Sleep 27 1063-1067. 

Antin, J., Lee, S., Hankey, J., Dingus, T. (2011). Design of the in-vehicle driving behavior and crash risk study. In Support of the SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Study. Report SHRP2 S2-S05-RR-1, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. 

A large body of evidence demonstrates that interacting with in-vehicle devices while driving can impair driving performance on a number of safety critical measmes. But does this degradation in driving performance translate into an increase in crashes and crash risk A number of studies have been conducted to examine this question. 

In relation to mobile phones, epidemiological studies have foimd that using a mobile phone while driving increases crash risk by anywhere between 4 and 9 times, regardless of whether the phone is hand-held or hands-free, and that the risk is greater for inexperienced drivers (Redehneier and Tibshirani, 1997 Violanti, 1998 McEvoy et al., 2005). This increase in crash risk is equivalent to driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of about 0.08. Crash-based studies have also found that, of all... 

There is very httle evidence linking radio or CD players to crashes, and no known research evidence linking rrse of these devices to increased crash risk. Stutts et al. (2001) found that, of the crashes examined, 8.3 percent were the result of the driver being distracted by some everrt, object or activity inside or outside the vehicle, and 11.4 per cent of these crashes occrrrred when the driver was adjirsting the radio, audiocassette or CD player. No individiral data was reported for radio rrse. 

Bjpmskau (1994) believes that measures that reduce the risk of being involved in an accident are more liable to elicit behavioural adaptation than measures that reduce the severity of injuries in a crash. For example, ESC (which reduces the risk of collision) should be more liable to elicit behavioural adaptation than air bags, which are not associated with a reduction of crash risk. Interestingly, survey studies of drivers of vehicles equipped with ESC provide indirect evidence of the propensity for ESC to be associated with behavioural adaptation (Rndin-Brown et al., 2009 Vadeby et al., 2009). 

The results were similar to the earlier studies in terms of finding a high correlation between ratings of risk and task difficulty (r = 0.81 - 0.91), and a threshold effect for ratings of crash risk. However, the previously reported systematically increasing trends for ratings of task difficulty and feeling of risk with speed were not... 

As stated in the above quote from Damasio (1994), feelings are linked to predicted future outcomes through learning, which could explain why drivers require on-road driving experience to reduce crash risk (e.g., Maycock et al., 1991 Maycock, 2002 McCartt et al., 2003). This hypothesis was tested in a laboratory experiment by... 

Burkey, M., and Obeng, K. 2004. A Detailed Investigation of Crash Risk Reduction Resulting from Red Light Cameras in Small Urban Areas. Washington, DC U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Special Programs Administration. 

Klauer, S. G., Dingus, T. A., Neale, V. L., Sudweeks, J. D., and Ramsey, D. J. 2006. The impact of driver inattention on near-crash/crash risk An analysis using the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study data. Blacksburg, Virginia Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. 

FIGURE 12.1 Factors that moderate the effects of distraction on driving performance and crash risk. (Reproduced from Young, K.L., Regan, M.A., and Lee J.D. 2009. Driver Distraction Theory, Effects, and Mitigation. Boca Raton, FL CRC Press. With permission.)... 

Factors Increasing Young Novice Crash Risk and Susceptibility to... 

Nonetheless, young age also contributes to crash risk. Early research in the United Kingdom clearly demonstrated an increased crash risk for the least experienced drivers irrespective of whether aged 17 or 30 years, for example (Maycock et al., 1991). More recently, some of the above-mentioned studies of crashes by years licensed also demonstrated that the peak in crash risk on commencement of the independent licence was highest for the youngest drivers and incrementally lower as age increased (NZ Ministry of Transport, 2010 Twisk and Stacey, 2007). A recent review of literature since 1990 concluded that while both age and experience have important, independent effects on crash risk, the effect of experience is greater (McCartt et al, 2009). 

FACTORS INCREASING YOUNG NOVICE CRASH RISK AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO NEGATIVE BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATION... 

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