The state of being inattentive during driving or an action that takes the attention of the driver away during the task of driving is termed as driver distraction. Driver distraction has also been defined as “attention given to a non-driving related activity, typically to the detriment of driving performance” as stated in ISO TC22/SC13/WG8 CD 16673 [1]. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has defined distracted driving as “an activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving” [2]. Each of these activities cause distractions to different extents and include activities like texting using the mobile phone, eating and adjusting the infotainment or the climate control systems. In short, …show more content…
Hence, it is important to identify the causes of driver distraction at the first place to develop solutions to curtail the problem. This can thus help the driver driving a vehicle to avoid performing activities that cause driver distraction and eventually lead to dangerous road accidents. With rapid advancements in technology, IVIS have gained high popularity in the automotive world. This has been identified as one of the leading causes of driver distraction [4]. The most common potentially distracting activities include texting or talking on a cellular phone, eating, drinking, using in-vehicle technologies, talking to the other passengers in the car among a few other activities [2]. Distraction is classified into three categories – visual, cognitive and manual distraction and may occur individually or in combination as shown in Figure1.1. Figure1.1 Types of distracted driving [5]. Table 1.1 shows the types, a few examples or causes and the effects of distracted driving for a driver driving a vehicle. Type of Distraction Visual Cognitive Manual Examples or Causes • Looking for an