ABSTRACT
The complexity of the road situation, the risks the driver is exposed to and the massive practice experienced drivers accumulate all distinguish attention on the road from attention in a laboratory setting. Developing a more precise understanding of the interaction of the driving context and the non-driving tasks that might occupy a driver is needed to avoid misrepresenting this routine driving as distracted driving. In many situations it is this interaction that distinguishes an attentive from a distracted driver. Senders’ queuing theory of attention suggests a promising initial direction: that drivers be modelled as a server responding to random arrival of tasks to queue; however, drivers are often proactive and seek information, develop expectations and determine the arrival of tasks to the queue. A promising approach to promoting safe behaviour is to sense the state of the driver and roadway and provide that as feedback to the driver.
