Driver Distraction Research

In an increasingly complex driving environment, the potential risk of driver distraction is rising.

Specifically, roadside advertising is increasingly prevalent, provocative and explicit. It is important to know whether such advertising can distract drivers from the task of safe driving.

The Scottish Executive commissioned a literature review on driver distraction to explore in more depth whether external driver distraction is a significant factor in road accidents and to examine existing knowledge and gaps on the relevant external factors that cause vehicle accidents, with a view to identifying where further research might be carried out.

There is a large amount of scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that drivers can become distracted as they drive. Studies indicate that a substantial percentage of this distraction can be classed as ‘external-to-vehicle’.

Information from accident databases suggests that external-to-vehicle driver distraction is a major contributory factor to road accidents. However it is likely that these incidents are under-reported. The real risks may therefore be greater than official statistics suggest.

The evidence suggests that there are two specific situations where the risk factor of billboards and signs is at its highest: at junctions, and on long monotonous roads (such as motorways).

There is overwhelming evidence that advertisements and signs placed near junctions can function as distractors, and that this constitutes a major threat to road safety. This is because these signs create visual ‘clutter’ thus making it harder for the driver to perceive traffic lights and other safety signs/devices.

It is also likely that drivers can become distracted by lights or billboards on long ‘boring’ stretches of road. This may be because they are ‘caught by surprise’ when advertisements suddenly appear, or because they fixate on them and fail to concentrate on driving.

Overall the literature review found that advertising/billboards can function as distractors in specific situations. However, more research is needed to discover in what particular situations they pose most of a threat, and the precise extent of the risk.