A sociotechnical systems approach to driver distraction

The impact of driver distraction on road safety has been a focus of Human Factors research for over half a century. Over this time, developments in technology have served to increase the impact of driver distraction. Mobile phones have attracted much attention within the field, however other technological tasks that are bought into the vehicle by the driver, as well as those that are built in to the vehicle by manufacturers, also negatively affect the drivers’ safe monitoring of the road environment. Traditional methods employed to manage the issue have been critiqued for being too focused on the individual. It is argued that the focus should be on the role of the wider sociotechnical system within which the behaviour occurs. This thesis seeks to explore the issue of driver distraction from technological devices by taking a sociotechnical systems approach. Initial work with this thesis identified a possible research-practise gap, with a shift towards systems thinking in road transport research that did not translate into recommendations made in practise. Seeking to fill this gap, an exploratory model of driver distraction was developed from the literature using grounded theory methodology. The model presents five factors of distraction that account for the sociotechnical system within which the behaviour emerges. The model is developed, applied and validated through its application to a case study, Accimap analysis, a semi-structured interview study and driving studies in simulated and on-road settings. Throughout these research studies the sociotechnical system surrounding the behaviour has been explored to understand the drivers’ interaction with technological devices. From this perspective, countermeasures are recommended to enhance road safety. This thesis provides theoretical, methodological and practical recommendations for future driver distraction mitigation strategies that are relevant to research practitioners, industry and policy makers