Overclocker

The shocking thing is that the drivers knew their vehicles were equipped with video cameras and other sensing devices. And they still used cell phones and PDAs. They put on makeup. They ate. They drank. They looked for items in consoles and on seats behind them. They started to doze off.

All while driving.

The findings come from what is called the biggest "naturalistic" study ever of driver behavior. One hundred vehicles driven in Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia were wired for more than a year. Each owner got $125 a month and a bonus at the end.

The bottom line: Driver distraction or inattention was a factor in 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes recorded in the study, according to research results released last week.

Researchers from Virginia Tech's Transportation Institute, sponsored in part by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, collected more than 42,000 hours of data. The 241 drivers who used the test vehicles had 82 crashes and 761 near-crashes. Events as minor as bumping a parking meter were defined as crashes.

The researchers said better understanding of driver behavior is essential to developing a new generation of safety equipment - devices that will help prevent crashes.

Industry executives often grouse that government safety regulators pay too little attention to the erratic behavior of the person behind the wheel, but automakers didn't gloat in reaction to the study. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said car companies already are working to design in-vehicle equipment aimed at minimizing driver distraction.

Source: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../60424021/1041