Driver Distraction Among Commercial Vehicle Operators: A Study Using a Driving Simulator to Enhance Control

Driver distraction continues to be a topic that is regularly at the forefront of public discussion concerning safety on America’s roads and highways. This paper reports the simulator application and experimental design for a study sponsored by the U. S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which attempted to create a unique approach to studying driver distraction among CMV operators. The results of the study found that engaging touchscreen devices (MP3 players) led to over three times the level of cognitive distraction, while cell phones caused two to three times greater cognitive distraction than the baseline scenario. In addition, the study validated previous scholars’ research claims about the usefulness of driving simulators and provided next steps for future research efforts.