An investigation on the link between driver demographic characteristics and distracted driving by using the SHRP 2 naturalistic driving data

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of driver demographic characteristics on the driving safety involving cell phone usages. Design/methodology/approach A total of 1,432 crashes and 19,714 baselines were collected for the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 naturalistic driving research. The authors used a case-control approach to estimate the prevalence and the population attributable risk percentage. The mixed logistic regression model is used to evaluate the correlation between different driver demographic characteristics (age, driving experience or their combination) and the crash risk regarding cell phone engagements, as well as the correlation among the likelihood of the cell phone engagement during the driving, multiple driver demographic characteristics (gender, age and driving experience) and environment conditions. Findings Senior drivers face an extremely high crash risk when distracted by cell phone during driving, but they are not involved in crashes at a large scale. On the contrary, cell phone usages account for a far larger percentage of total crashes for young drivers. Similarly, experienced drivers and experienced-middle-aged drivers seem less likely to be impacted by the cell phone while driving, and cell phone engagements are attributed to a lower percentage of total crashes for them. Furthermore, experienced, senior or male drivers are less likely to engage in cell phone-related secondary tasks while driving. Originality/value The results provide support to guide countermeasures and vehicle design.