Distraction in commercial vehicle operations, vtti. Commercial trucks 3axle and tractor trailertanker and buses transit and motor. This study investigates the impact of driver distraction in commercial motor vehicle cmv operations. The federal motor carrier safety administration awarded a contract to investigate driver distraction in commercial motor vehicle drivers.
Perez is a research scientist in the center for automotive safety research at. One in four commercial motor vehicle cmv drivers in the u. The federal motor carrier safety administration fmcsa funded earlier research at virginia tech transportation institute vtti involving the investigation of distraction sources in heavy vehicle drivers olson, et al. Virginia tech magazine virginia polytechnic institute. More specifically, the module will identify the problem of distracted driving in the context of commercial vehicle operations. A key focus was on the use of realtime inattention monitoring technologies to provide realtime feedback to the driver and back office post. To put it another way, a distraction is anything that takes your eyes off the road visual distraction, your mind off the road cognitive distraction, or your hands off the wheel manual distraction.
Vtti collected 42,000 hours of data from close to two million vehicle miles of driving. Distraction while driving is becoming more and more of a problem on the roadway each day. Sep 03, 2015 100car naturalistic driving study fact sheet, virginia tech transportation institute driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations, fmcsa, september 2009 distraction. Driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations.
Ctbs is dedicated to the design, delivery, and implementation of leadingedge research and development efforts aimed at improving the safety of commercial motor vehicle cmv drivers and those they share the road with. This module will provide an overview of truck driver distraction focused mostly on electronic devices. Just reaching for an electronic device can make one almost seven times more likely to have a crash. Study concludes drivers underestimate dangers of multitasking behind the wheel in automotive fleet. Texting while driving requires visual, manual and cognitive attention that the driver should instead direct toward the task of safely operating his or her vehicle. The purpose of this project was to quantitatively identify detention times in the commercial motor vehicle cmv industry. Virginia tech transportation institute, center for truck and bus safety, 2008. Data from two earlier naturalistic studies were combined to create a data set of 203 cmv.
Driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations this project investigated the impact of driver distraction in cmv operations. Researchers determine driver risks using largescale. A study from the virginia tech transportation institute vtti6 that examined driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations helps put the dangers of cell phone use while driving in perspective. Limiting the use of wireless communication devices, 1639116404 20107367 download as pdf federal register vol. Driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations, vtti, sep.
The national success of vtti has generated research efforts on a global scale. Researchers are exploring the link between traffic accidents and driver distraction caused by the use of onboard wireless technologies. The results were immeasurable in providing the first accurate portrait of what causes risky driving behavior and paved the way for future naturalistic examinations of driver distraction, fatigue, error, and impairment. Driver distraction is a prevalent contributing factor in light vehicle and heavy vehicle operations high risk tasks had high eyes off road time talkinglistening tasks i. Impact at a glance virginia tech transportation institute. The purpose of this study was to characterize driver inattention in safetycritical and baseline events and to determine the relative risk of driving while distracted. Training modules commercial motor vehicle driving safety. Distraction is anything that diverts the drivers attention from the primary tasks of navigating the vehicle and responding to critical events. According to research conducted by the virginia tech transportation institute vtti, driver distraction is a leading cause of vehicle accidents. Drivers are distracted more than half the time they. Driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations by the federal motor carrier safety administration. Understanding the nature of fatigued driving requires attention to several elements of the driving situation, including driver characteristics. This module will allow safety managers to identify sources of driver distraction as well as how to address driver distraction in everyday fleet operations. Crash database analyses have estimated that driver distraction is a primary factor in 2530% of crashes wang, knipling, and goodman.
You may remember our recent blog regarding the consequences of distractions behind the wheel. Driver distraction commercial motor vehicle driving safety. Vtti gy naturalistic data collection collecting driver behavior and performance data in a naturalistic environment examples. The vtti driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations study shows that a driver is 23 times more likely to be in an accident if texting while driving. Further rationale comes from data collected during a 2010 dotsponsored virginia tech transportation institute vtti naturalistic driving study. Data from two earlier naturalistic studies were combined to create a data set of 203 cmv drivers and 55 trucks from seven trucking fleets operating at 16 locations. The vtti driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations study found that texting while driving raises a heavytruck drivers risk of a safetycritical event by 23 times. Regulators, researchers focus on distracted driving fight.
Driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations fmcsa. The ubiquity of smart phones and text messaging provides a significant source of driver distraction and inattentiveness, and many studies have attempted to quantitatively prove this hypothesis. These increasingly sophisticated invehicle amenities include internet accessing tools, navigational systems, voice mail, e. Jan 03, 2020 when it comes to canadas truckers, transport canada is teaming up with the virginia tech transportation institute vtti in the search for ways to keep drivers focused researching the use and effectiveness of driver distraction training in commercial vehicle operations.
The virginia tech transportation institute naturalistic driving study method involves equipping vehicles with unobtrusive instrumentation, including an advanced suite of radars, sensors, and cameras depicted here with an institute researcher volunteer behind the wheel. Driver detention times in commercial motor vehicle operations. Mar 08, 2016 the vtti researchers estimate that potentially 36 percent of incidents4 million of the almost 11 million crashes that happen in this country annuallycould be avoided if no distraction was. The vtti driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations study found that texting while driving raises a heavytruck drivers risk of a safetycritical event by. Data from two earlier naturalistic studies were combined to. The vtti driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations study found that texting while driving raises a heavytruck driver s risk of a safetycritical event by 23 times. Driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations the vtti studyolson. Each of these areas provides information in the form of tips, many of which include a video example taken from naturalistic cmv driving studies performed by. In 2009, the vtti published a new naturalistic driving study based on commercial vehicle operator experience. Fatigue is a major risk factor in commercial motor vehicle operations, identified in naturalistic driving studies as a contributing factor in approximately 20 percent of safetycritical incidents. Defensive driving techniques to protect yourself on the.
Driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations, final report. A retrospective epidemiology study conducted in quebec, canada, in 2003 aimed to identify a link between cell phone use and motor vehicle collisions mvc. This study investigated the impact of driver distraction in commercial motor vehicle cmv operations. Rich hanowski, director of the center for truck and bus safety at vtti, will be presenting the results of his study directed at driver distraction in commercial motor vehicle operations, at the first international conference on driver distraction and inattention in.
The magazine highlights the vibrancy of a university positioned on the leading edge of technology, service, learning, research, and scholarship and showcases the achievements of alumni, faculty and staff, and students. Driver inattention was characterized by identifying secondary. Subsequently, the federal government issued a call to end distracted driving. Understanding the nature of fatigued driving requires attention to several elements of. Department of transportation website, january 2014. Driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations fmcsa us. These increasingly sophisticated in vehicle amenities include internet accessing tools, navigational systems, voice mail, email, cd players, and other telematic systems.
Risk control for trucking is your distracted driving policy. A 2009 study by the virginia tech transportation institute found that text messaging. A 2009 study by the virginia tech transportation institute found that text messaging increased the risk of a. The vtti researchers estimate that potentially 36 percent of incidents4 million of the almost 11 million crashes that happen in this country annuallycould be avoided if no distraction was. Jul 01, 2004 researchers are exploring the link between traffic accidents and driver distraction caused by the use of onboard wireless technologies. This study suggested that there is a 23fold increase in risk when commercial operators send text messages while driving, and that some behaviors like checking gauges and talking on the cell phone can have protective benefits. Vtti reports of the virginia tech transportation institute. The method continuously collects realworld driver performance and behavior. Virginia tech magazine virginia polytechnic institute and. Vtti is currently leading naturalistic driving studies in china, canada, and australia. Drivers are distracted more than half the time theyre.
When it comes to canadas truckers, transport canada is teaming up with the virginia tech transportation institute vtti in the search for ways to keep drivers focused researching the use and effectiveness of driver distraction training in commercial vehicle operations. Nearly 80 percent of vehicle crashes involve driver inattention. The center for truck and bus safety ctbs focuses on the research, development, and evaluation of heavyvehicle systems and operations. Distracted driving in 2017, 3,166 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, according to the national highway traffic safety administration nhtsa. Virginia tech magazine, the universitys flagship publication, forges stronger relationships among alumni, donors, and friends of virginia tech. The center for truck and bus safety ctbs focuses on the research, development, and evaluation of heavy vehicle systems and operations.
The site is maintained by the vtti and updated by members of the center for public policy, partnerships, and outreach. Although there is currently no standard definition, the industry commonly defines detention time as any time drivers have to wait beyond 2 hours, which is the average time it takes to load or unload their cargo. In fact, the virginia tech transportation institute vtti reports that sending or receiving a text message diverts a drivers eyes from the road for an average of 4. Vtti is continuing its collaboration with iai to develop a robust multimodal driver distraction and fatigue detectionwarning system mdf for commercial vehicle operations. Locking away the phone and keeping objects out of the front seat to avoid temptation are just two ways to minimize distraction and increase overall fleet safety. When it comes to driving, its extremely important to stay focused on the road and to be completely aware of your surroundings. Rich hanowski, director of the center for truck and bus safety at vtti, will be presenting the results of his study directed at driver distraction in commercial motor vehicle operations, at the first international conference on driver distraction and inattention in gothenburg, sweden, september 28. The study, which utilized invehicle video cameras to record. The link between texting and motor vehicle collision.
Vtti gy distraction in commercial vehicle operations jeffrey hickman, ph. Cmv driving safety was originally developed with support from the national surface transportation safety center for excellence at the virginia tech transportation institute. Each of these areas provides information in the form of tips, many of which include a video example taken from naturalistic cmv driving studies performed by the virginia tech transportation institute vtti. Risk control for trucking is your distracted driving. July 2015 fact sheet distracted driving in 20, there were 3,154 people killed and 424,000 injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. In the past decade, much of her work has been on driver distraction, driver workload assessment, and strategies for actively assisting drivers in these areas. The vtti driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations study shows that a driver is 23 times more likely to. Groundbreaking work conducted by his group, the vtti driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations study, found that texting while driving raises a heavytruck drivers risk of a safety critical event by 23 times. The vtti driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations study found that texting while driving raises a heavy truck drivers risk of a crash or near crash by 23 times. Nov 09, 2012 the ubiquity of smart phones and text messaging provides a significant source of driver distraction and inattentiveness, and many studies have attempted to quantitatively prove this hypothesis. Driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations background driver distraction has been identified to occur when inattention leads to a delay in recognition of information necessary to accomplish the driving task.