A Preliminary Study of the Possible Impact of Non-related Driving Tasks on the Car Driver’s Performance Using Glance-Based Measures

In road traffic, the knowledge of the impact of drivers’ distraction on the performance is critical to address the safety incidents and to reduce the number of road accidents. Previous research has mostly investigated the impact of different types of driver distraction on the driver’s performance. This preliminary research will explore the possible impact of simultaneous interaction of two or more types of distraction inside a vehicle on the driver’s performance using the driver’s glance behavior. A possible impact on the driver’s performance will be analysed by comparing the driver’s gaze parameters for different driver activities imposed by the scenario in relation to the baseline driving mode. The drivers will perform real-world driving scenarios doing a non-related driving task such as smoking, consuming soft drinks, and using a mobile phone fixed on a stand under the rearview mirror. Two scenarios have been used to evaluate mobile phone use: casual video call conversation and video call conversation while solving a cognitive task. The drivers’ glance parameters such as glance duration, gaze direction, percent of gaze on road center, and others will be assessed from video data on the sample of three drivers. This preliminary study will be a small part of a larger-scale research planned for the near future.