Distracted driving is among the leading causes of motor vehicle crashes worldwide, though the magnitude of this problem is difficult to quantify given the limitations of police-reported crash data. A more promising approach is to evaluate the impacts of distraction in real-world driving events. To that end, this study leverages data from the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) to gain important insights into the risks posed by driver distraction. The objectives of this study are to assess the risk of crash and near-crash events under different contextual environments based upon whether the driver was engaged in any secondary (i.e., non-driving related) tasks. The research also compares speed profiles of distracted drivers in low-speed and high-speed environments, providing important insights into how driver behavior changes based upon the type and intensity of distraction. The first analysis uses the standard SHRP 2 data to compare the differences between near-crash risks on limited access freeways and two-lane highways. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were estimated to discern how the risks of near-crash events varied by distraction type while controlling for the effects of driver, roadway, and traffic characteristics. In general, the risks were more pronounced for those distractions that were a combination of cognitive, visual, and manual distractions (for e.g., cell phone texting). While the same factors tended to increase near-crash risk on both types of facilities, the impacts of several factors tended to be more pronounced on two-lane highways where interaction with other vehicles occurred more frequently. The second analysis uses a subset of the NDS data that were focused on naturalistic engagement in secondary tasks (NEST). The NEST data were used to assess how the type and duration of distraction impacted the likelihood of crash and near-crash events. Separate comparisons were made between crashes and near-crashes with “normal” baseline driving events. The results show the duration of distraction to be a strong predictor of both crash and near-crash risk and were found to have similar relationships with crashes and near-crashes. The risks were highest for those secondary tasks that introduce a combination of visual and manual distractions that provides evidence that distractions requiring higher levels of engagement have more pronounced impacts on safety. The third and final analysis uses NEST data to analyze how driver speed selection varies based upon the types of secondary tasks that a driver is engaged in. Comparisons are made as to differences between high-speed and low-speed environments. Two-way random effects linear regression models were estimated for both speed regimes while controlling for driver, roadway, and traffic characteristics. In general, engagement in all tasks was found to decrease speeds in high-speed environments, while the effects were mixed in low-speed settings. These changes in speeds are much pronounced for secondary tasks that include a combination of visual, manual, and cognitive distractions, such as cell phone use. Among all secondary tasks, handheld cellphone talking was associated with highest speed changes in both environments followed by reaching/manipulating an object and holding an object. Ultimately, the results of this study provides further motivation for more aggressive legislation and enforcement against distracted driving. This can be achieved by enforcing strict laws and fines, graduated licensing process, public campaigns, modified infrastructure (rumble strips and tactile lane marking), and other such measures.
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