Do Drivers Know That Being Distracted Impairs Their Ability to Respond to Events More Than Their Ability to Maintain Lane Position

Research suggests that driving while talking on a mobile telephone limits drivers’ ability to respond to important events but has a smaller effect on their lane-keeping ability. This pattern, which has also been reported during night driving, suggests that drivers may not be aware of the extent to which performing secondary tasks impairs their ability to drive. Here, 15 young participants performed a variety of secondary tasks while driving a simulated curvy road and looking out for pedestrians entering the roadway. Before and after driving each scenario the drivers evaluated their ability to maintain lane position and to respond to the pedestrians. Results revealed that drivers did not recognize that secondary tasks impaired their ability to respond to events more than the tasks impaired their ability to maintain lane position. This pattern may reflect the fact that drivers receive continuous feedback about their relatively robust steering abilities but less feedback about limitations in their ability to respond to unusual events. This could result in drivers being unjustifiably confident in their ability to drive safely while performing secondary tasks.