Distraction Assessment Methods Based on Visual Behavior and Event Detection

The aims of this book chapter are to describe key conceptual factors in the measurement of driver distraction, to show how these can be measured by current visual behavior and event detection methodologies, and to identify and discuss outstanding issues. The methods discussed in are intended to be used in combination with other measurement metrics in various research settings, such as simulators, test tracks, and real traffic. Three general methodological approaches are offered: 1) metrics based on driver eye-movement data, 2) metrics based on natural object and event detection, and 3) metrics based on artificial signal detection. The chapter concludes by discussing these methods, their advantages and disadvantages, and some suggested directions for future research.