Novice Drivers
Hosted by Dr. Charlie Klauer
Dr. Sheila “Charlie” Klauer is a research scientist and the leader for the Applied Driver Assessment, Performance, and Training Group. She is also an Associate Professor in the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at Virginia Tech. Dr. Klauer has been working in transportation research since 1996, previously at the Battelle Human Factors Research Center in Seattle, WA and currently at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Since joining VTTI in 1999, she has served as the Principal Investigator for a series of naturalistic driving studies that included three teen naturalistic driving studies and the Canada Naturalistic Driving Study. Currently, she is the PI on the Driver Adaptation of L2 Technologies and two additional NDS’s focused on adolescents: the first is concerned with adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the second NDS is focused on adolescents diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. Dr. Klauer also serves as the chair for TRB ACH60 Vehicle User Education, Training, and Licensing Technical Committee.
Performance based driver licensing system: From research into practice
Daniel Cooke, Dr. Federico Vaca, Dr. Johnathon Ehsani, Dr. Emmanuel Fulgence Drabo, and Andrew Hellinger
Traditional driver testing is conducted as a one-time assessment for drivers to progress to licensure. These assessments allow a driver to demonstrate driving performance during the test but may not necessarily be indicative of an individual’s real world driving. A performance based licensing approach would incorporate periods of driver monitoring for driver assessment over a time period that would allow for more accurate reflection of their safe driving skills. The purpose of these talks is to provide an understanding of performance based licensing, and factors related to its implementation, including legislation, public support, and technology considerations.
Supporting the driving process for Autistic Adolescents: Key findings and current efforts
Dr. Allison Curry and Dr. Emma Sartin
Drs. Curry and Sartin lead a mixed-methods research program to investigate driving and transportation use among autistic adolescents. Their long-term goal is to develop tailored resources and interventions that support autistic adolescents and their families during the decision-to-drive period, optimize their safety as independent drivers and road users, and promote positive health outcomes. In this presentation, Drs. Curry and Sartin will share the primary “lessons learned” thus far from their mixed-methods research program. They will also describe their ongoing studies and planned efforts to develop resources and tools to support the safe transport of autistic adolescents as they transition to adulthood.
Modeling of drinking and driving behaviors among adolescents and young adults in the United States
Dr. Niyousha Hosseinichimeh
In 2021, alcohol-impaired driving motor vehicle crashes claimed the lives of 13,384 individuals in the United States. Notably, the 21 to 24-year-old age group accounted for the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes, with a rate of 27%. Alcohol-impaired driving is influenced by a complex web of interconnected factors, compounded by significant delays between the actions of various stakeholders and the resulting impacts. This intricate dynamic not only complicates the process of policy-making but also elevates the risk of unintended consequences. We developed a system dynamics simulation model of drinking and driving behaviors among adolescents and young adults through group model building sessions with a team of multidisciplinary subject matter experts, and a focused literature review. The model was calibrated with data series from multiple sources and replicated the historical trends for male and female individuals aged 15 to 24 from 1982 to 2020. We simulated the model under different scenarios to examine the impact of a wide range of interventions on alcohol related crash fatalities. We found that interventions vary in terms of their effectiveness in reducing alcohol related crash fatalities. In addition, although some interventions reduce alcohol related crash fatalities, some may increase the number of drinkers who drive after drinking. Based on insights from simulation experiments, we combined three interventions and found that the combined strategy may reduce alcohol related crash fatalities significantly without increasing the number of alcohol impaired drivers on US roads. Nevertheless, related fatalities plateau over time despite the combined interventions, underscoring the need for new interventions for a sustained decline in alcohol-related crash deaths beyond a few decades.
Psychosocial factors that contribute to the problematic phone use while driving
Kyle Hickerson and Dr. Yi-Ching Lee
Due to the increase in traffic fatalities and Information Communication Technology (ICT) use during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study describes a new framework for distracted driving research. Specifically, this study examines mediating pathways between psychosocial factors, participant’s increased ICT use, and distracted driving behaviors during the pandemic. First, a large effect was found for the daily amount of ICT used when participants compared use before and during the pandemic. Emergent psychosocial factors were identified using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) from existing measures in the literature. The collected constructs were Fear of Missing Out, Need to Belong, Self-Regulation, Boredom Proneness, Perceived Attachment to Phone, Habitual Use, and Neuroticism. After data reduction, the emergent constructs were Self-Regulation, Need to Belong, Habitual Use, and Perceived Attachment to Phone. The excluded constructs were grouped under one of these four constructs, meaning that they may not be conceptually different. The emergent factors displayed small correlations, indicating Discriminant Validity. Additionally, the model displayed excellent global and local fit, making it suitable for future analysis. Next, Factor Scores are generated so participant scores on the latent variables can be analyzed with other manifest variables. Mediating models are set up so the emergent factors predict distracted driving behaviors through the increase in ICT use due to the pandemic. None of the emergent factors were predictive of ICT use difference. However, ICT use difference was predictive of texting and email use while driving. Finally, Need to Belong and Perceived Attachment to Phone performed the best when predicting Email and Social Media use while driving.
Early findings of a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of cell phone law
Allegra Ayala and Dr. Yi-Ching Lee
Distracted driving leads to a large portion of accidents and fatalities each year. Use of a cell phone while driving is associated with decreases in driver performance. With nearly every state having instated some form of cell phone use ban, the need for a meta-analytic approach to examining the effectiveness of this legislation. In this presentation of early results, 15 effect sizes gathered from 9 studies were used to examine observed and self-reported rates of cell phone use while on the road. Results indicate that bans on cell phone use do decrease the prevalence of use while driving. Analysis of moderators indicates that the rate of compliance varies across state. Additionally, handheld bans have higher rates of compliance than total cell phone bans. Results should be interpreted with caution due to issues of small sample size.