A U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) forum on distracted driving of motor vehicles, citing parallel issues in the aviation sector, has noted significant gaps in the scientific understanding of cognitive distractions in general. While acknowledging that differences in safety training and performance vary between, for example, professional pilots and average motor vehicle drivers, human factors research offers only a few insights into the nature of risks when either group uses portable electronic devices (PEDs) during vehicle operation.
The purpose of the March 27 forum in Washington, D.C., was to examine countermeasures that can mitigate distracted driving behaviors. Overall, the presenters advised caution whenever PEDs are used while a vehicle is being operated. The NTSB in December 2011 called for a federal ban on all drivers’ non-emergency use of PEDs, other than those designed to support the driving task.
More than 3,000 people were killed in the United States …
