Abstract
Approximately one third of car trips involve one or more passengers and yet we know little about how the presence of a passenger helps or hinders safety and efficiency. To date, research in this area has focused on the possible distractive effects of passengers. Although we know that drivers conversing on a mobile phone is distracting and unsafe, epidemiological studies suggest that driving with a passenger has a lower crash risk than driving alone. This paper describes two studies into how drivers and passengers interact during a journey; a survey regarding the most common actions of passengers and how drivers view their helpfulness, and an on-road study of driver and passenger interactions. The results indicated several areas that drivers felt passenger assistance was quite helpful, but in some cases was exhibited very rarely. The on-road study revealed some interesting gender differences in who offers driving support, and who requests it. By understanding how passengers can contribute to safer journeys we can provide that information to drivers at risk, such as those very early or late in their driving careers.
Highlights
A significant proportion of the automobile journeys we make involve passengers
Most research into the effect of passengers on driving has focused on the widely-held belief that passengers are a distraction for drivers
There were a total of 14 female drivers and eight male drivers in the sample, with 11 Female driver-Female passenger pairs (FF), 3 Female driver-Male passenger pairs (FM), 5 Male driver-Female passenger pairs (MF), and 3 Male driver-Male passenger pairs (MM)
Summary
A significant proportion of the automobile journeys we make involve passengers. In New Zealand approximately one third of all trips by cars, vans and utility vehicles carry one or more passengers (MoT, 2015). Most research into the effect of passengers on driving has focused on the widely-held belief that passengers are a distraction for drivers. This belief comes in part from stereotypes and humorous caricatures of overly talkative passengers and “back-seat drivers” in film and television. In a detailed analysis of crash records it was found that the presence of passengers increased the likelihood of safe driving behaviours (e.g., seatbelt use and lower alcohol levels), and decreased the likelihood of both traffic citations and driver injuries and fatalities (Lee and AbdelAty, 2008). Observational data have shown that the likelihood of committing traffic violations is reduced by the presence of one or more passenger (Rosenbloom and Perlman, 2016)
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