Drivers' adaptation to mobile phone use: interaction strategies, consequences on driving behaviour and potential impact on road safety Driver Adaptation to Information and Assistance Systems : chapitre 9. In: Driver Adaptation to Information and Assistance Systems
Résumé
The increasing use of the mobile phone while driving raises a safety concern due to its distractive potential and its consequent effects on crash risk. The way phone use affects driving depends on the usage behaviour of the driver. Firstly, drivers can actively regulate their exposure to phone interactions. Secondly, they can make choices on the strategic level of the driving task so as to ensure the compatibility of the phone use with driving. Strategies can aim at lowering the demands in one of the concurrent tasks, e.g. by using assistance systems or a hands-free device. Thirdly, the phone use while driving can impair the driving performance because of the distractive nature of the dual task situation. With the aim to mitigate this impairment and to uphold an acceptable driving performance, drivers can deliberately adapt their behaviour on the tactical level of the driving task. These driver adaptation strategies to mobile phone use are discussed along with their actual implementation and effectiveness. An extensive literature review has been complemented with findings from naturalistic driving studies and in-depth interviews carried out within the ADAPTATION project. A discussion on the potential safety impact of phone use and drivers’ adaptation to it concludes this chapter.