Researchers in the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Human Factors Program are working to better understand the dangers associated with distracted driving, with the goal of developing more effective countermeasures. Distracted driving is a growing problem throughout the nation, and the use of cell phones is recognized as one of the chief causes of driver distraction. Although many states have enacted bans on texting while driving — and considerable resources are devoted to anti-texting public service campaigns — the texting while-driving problem continues to create dangerous conditions for roadway users.

1. Saving Lives, Time and Resources tti.tamu.edu
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests
that nearly 80 percent of all crashes involve driver inattention
just prior to a conflict. This inattention comes in many forms,
including visual (where your eyes are looking), cognitive (what your
mind is thinking) and manual (what your body is doing).
Researchers in the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s)
Human Factors Program are working to better understand
the dangers associated with distracted driving, with the
goal of developing more effective countermeasures.
Distracted driving is a growing problem throughout the nation,
and the use of cell phones is recognized as one of the chief
causes of driver distraction. Although many states have enacted
bans on texting while driving — and considerable resources are
devoted to anti-texting public service campaigns — the texting-
while-driving problem continues to create dangerous conditions
for roadway users.
Research Projects
Determining the Effects of Texting
While Driving
In 2011, TTI researchers found that a driver’s
reaction time doubles when distracted by
reading or sending a text message. The study
revealed how the texting impairment is even
greaterthanmanyexpertsbelieved,anddem-
onstrated how texting drivers are less able to
react to sudden roadway hazards.
The study, sponsored by the Southwest Region University Transportation
Center (SWUTC), consisted of three major steps. First, participants typed a
story of their choice (usually a simple fairy tale) and also read and answered
questions related to another story, both on their smartphone in a laboratory
setting. Each participant then navigated a test-track course involving both an
open section and a section lined with construction barrels. Drivers first drove
the course without texting and then repeated both lab tasks separately while
driving through the course again. Throughout the test-track exercise, each
participant’s reaction time to a periodic flashing light was recorded.
Reaction times with no texting activity were typically between one and two
seconds. Reaction times while texting, however, were at least three to four
seconds. Worse yet, drivers were more than 11 times more likely to miss the
flashing light altogether when they were texting. The researchers say that the
study findings extend to other driving distractions that involve reading or
writing, such as checking e-mail or social media sites.
DISTRACTED DRIVING RESEARCH
of all drivers are
using their cell
10%
90,927
Texans behind the wheel:
Driving distracted
crashes in 2012 involved
(including cell phone use)
crashes involves
driver distraction
NEARLY
1
Texting
like driving a football field with eyes closed
seconds4.6
driver
distraction
takes a driver’s eyes
off the road for
4in
phone right now

2. Center for Transportation Safety
The Human Factors Program is part of TTI’s Center for Transportation Safety (CTS).
Established in 2001 by the Texas Legislature, the mission of CTS is to serve as a focal point
for traffic safety research, policy analysis, education and outreach in Texas. Although the
state and nation have seen impressive recent declines in crash fatalities, the number of such
deaths remains alarmingly — and unacceptably — high. CTS is committed to further
reducing the injury and death toll on our roadways. The center is staffed by professionals
from various fields including engineering, education, enforcement and social sciences with
specialization in a variety of areas including impaired driving, safety engineering, enforce-
ment, policy, occupant safety and survey research.
Voice-to-Text Driver
Distraction Study
Sponsored by SWUTC, the
first-of-its-kind study was
based on the performance of
43researchparticipantsdriving
an actual vehicle on a closed
course.Previousresearchefforts
have evaluated manual versus
voice-activated tasks using
devices installed in a vehicle,
but the TTI analysis was the
first to compare voice-to-text
and manual texting on a hand-
held device in an actual driving
environment.
Researchers found the following results:
• Driver response times were significantly delayed no matter which texting
method was used. In each case, drivers took about twice as long to react as they
did when they weren’t texting. With slower reaction times, drivers are less able to
take action in response to sudden roadway hazards, such as a swerving vehicle or
a pedestrian in the street.
• The amount of time that drivers spent looking at the roadway ahead was signifi-
cantly less when they were texting, no matter which texting method was used.
• For most tasks, manual texting required slightly less time than the voice-to-text
method, but driver performance was roughly the same with both.
• Drivers felt less safe when they were texting, but felt safer when using a voice-to-
text application than when texting manually, even though driving performance
suffered equally with both methods.
Michael Manser
Human Factors Program Manager
Center for Transportation Safety
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
College Station, TX 77843-3135
(979) 845-1605
m-manser@tti.tamu.edu
http://tti.tamu.edu
To solve transportation problems
through research, to transfer
technology and to develop diverse
human resources to meet the
transportation challenges
of tomorrow.
The Texas A&M Transportation
Institute, established in 1950, seeks
solutions to the problems and chal-
lenges facing all modes of transporta-
tion — surface, air, pipeline, water
and rail. The Institute works with
nearly 200 sponsors in the United
States and abroad at all levels of
government and in the private sector
and is recognized as one of the finest
higher-education-affiliatedtransporta-
tion research agencies in the nation.
TTI has saved the state and nation
billions of dollars through strategies
and products developed through its
research program. TTI research has
a proven impact — resulting in lives,
time and resources saved.
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