How does talking with passengers threatens pedestrian life? An analysis of drivers' performance based on real-world driving data

Abstract

Talking with passengers while driving may impair driver performance. However, little is known about the extent to which this factor affects driver behavior. Since distracted driving accounts for most pedestrian accidents, the present study seeks to demonstrate the danger posed to pedestrian crossing safety by talking with passengers. Based on a real-world driving approach, the current study examines how talking with a passenger affects a driver’s behavior when encountering pedestrians. A study of 41 participants’ driving behavior at different locations was conducted, and 2,922 conflicts with pedestrians were coded according to four conditions (without or with passengers, and at marked crossings or at other locations). Using binary regression, it was found that this factor near pedestrian crossing areas causes significant dysfunction in driving yielding behavior. Distraction negatively affects driver-yielding behavior when drivers engage in speeding, resulting in a fivefold decrease in evasive maneuvers. In addition, a multinomial regression model indicated that drivers would reduce their evasive maneuvers by more than 60%, with lane changes accounting for most of these maneuvers. Also, the present study concluded that pedestrian crossing gaps should be at least two times larger when drivers converse with passengers than when they do not do so. This study may contribute to the development of legislation, policy, countermeasures, and future research aimed at reducing distracted driving.