Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Graduate Research Assistant Xiaoqiang “Jack” Kong recently published the research paper “Characterizing phone usage while driving: Safety impact from road and operational perspectives using factor analysis” in Accident Analysis & Prevention. The paper’s authors also include Subasish Das, assistant research scientist in TTI’s Roadway Safety Division; Hongmin “Tracy” Zhou, associate […]
distracted driving
What We’re Thinking: As Cars Get Better, Driving Gets Worse
By Russell Henk This article was originally published in Dallas News, April 11, 2019. Our cars keep getting better, but our driving seems to be getting worse. Auto design has evolved from safety belts and airbags that help us survive crashes to features like lane-departure warnings and automatic emergency braking that help us avoid them. […]
Teens in the Driver Seat® Launches Teen Driver App to Curb Distracted Driving Among Teen Drivers
On October 18, 2016, as part of National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 16-22), teen advocates of Teens in the Driver Seat® (TDS) and program staff launched Teen Driver, a new smartphone app created by MobiSoft Infotech, LLC. The launch was held at Creekview High School and highlighted the app’s functionality, as well as TDS’s […]
Tales Out of School
75 Percent of Teens Say Their Parents Drive Distracted If you’re a parent, you want to teach your kids to be smart and safe behind the wheel. It’s right there in the job description. But recent data gathered by Aceable—a mobile-first provider of online drivers-education and defensive-driving courses—suggests parents might be telling more than showing. […]
New Study: “Other Drivers” Are a Bigger Threat on the Road
Three-fourths of Texas drivers in a recent survey say they have talked on a cell phone behind the wheel within the past month, about the same number as those who reported speeding. Nearly half say they have texted while driving, slightly more than the number who ran a stop sign or red light. Financial services […]
Texas Drivers Report Improvements in Some Safety Behaviors
Survey also tracks awareness of safety programs, campaigns TEXAS DRIVERS in 2013 were slightly less inclined to report they exceeded speed limits or talked on a cell phone while driving than they were the previous year, according to recent research. In the study, funded annually by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) since 2010, the […]
Voice-to-Text Apps: Study Finds No Safety Benefits
New research findings suggest that voice-to-text applications offer no real safety advantage over manual texting.
Voice-To-Text Apps Offer No Driving Safety Benefit; As With Manual Texting, Reaction Times Double
Texting drivers may believe they’re being more careful when they use the voice-to-text method, but new research findings suggest that those applications offer no real safety advantage over manual texting. The study was sponsored by the Southwest Region University Transportation Center and conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). SWUTC is a part of […]
As Distracted Driving Becomes an Increasing Threat on Texas Roadways, TxDOT Ramps Up Public Education
Talk. Text. Crash. campaign launches statewide It happens every day. You get a text or a phone call and you feel the need to respond immediately, even when you’re driving. But what you may not know is a simple text or call can cost you your life or someone else’s. “Distracted driving is unacceptable, and […]
USAA, TTI Begin Extensive Distracted Driving Study
The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) has contracted with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) to conduct an extensive study on the use of cell phones by Texas drivers, and distracted driving in general. The effort is the first involving TTI and USAA, one of the nation’s most respected insurance companies offering insurance protection and financial […]
TTI Researcher Presents at Human Factors Annual Meeting
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Associate Transportation Researcher Christine Yager gave a presentation, “The Effects of Reading and Writing Text-Based Messages While Driving,” at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. The meeting was held in Boston, MA, October 22–26 and was attended by more than 1,450 participants from the United […]
New Study Says Texting Doubles a Driver’s Reaction Time
Researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute have determined that a driver’s reaction time is doubled when distracted by reading or sending a text message. The study reveals how the texting impairment is even greater than many experts believed, and demonstrates how texting drivers are less able to react to sudden roadway hazards. The study — the first […]
It’s Confirmed: Driving’s a Full-Time Job — How Texting Impairs Driving Performance
Researchers and safety advocates have known for years that driving performance worsens when the driver is texting. Now we know just how much worse.
TTI Studies Increased Crash Rates Along the DFW Connector
Take a dynamic work zone that can change daily. Add distracted drivers. What do you get?