INVESTIGATING DISTRACTION TENDENCY AMONG DRIVERS UNDER NORMAL AND TIME PRESSURIZED SITUATIONS

Abstract

Drivers’ distraction is one of the main causes of accidents nowadays and it will increase in the coming years. Distraction and Time Pressure (TP) are the two major contributors leading to driving performance degradation and crashes and there are many growing problems that poses a threat to the road safety. This, paper investigates the distraction tendency among drivers under normal and time pressurized situations. Method: Driver Behaviour questionnaire survey conducted to collect the data for knowing the influence of different factors that cause distraction such as aspects of Mobile phone, Billboard characteristics, and other factors like daydreaming, checking speedometer, talking to pillion riders, searching for objects outside. Additional information about the perceived risk, attitude and behaviour, subjective norms and motivations for distraction is also obtained. To check the reliability of the responses obtained an activity based validation is done through an application named Safe 2 Save. The data obtained will undergo analysis procedures and formation of Structural Equation modelling to identify the relationship between the variables (Endogenous and Exogenous). Finally, most influencing factors that cause distraction under Normal driving situation is found to be as Billboard characteristics having a coefficient of 0.39 and most influencing one that cause distraction under Time pressurized situation is Mobile phone aspects with coefficient of 0.64 and thereby implementing some policies for ensuring the safety of driver’s