ABSTRACT
This study compared the driving performance of two groups of Chinese young drivers using a low–cost fixed based driving simulator: driving with concurrent text messaging tasks (Text messaging group, n=30) and driving without text messaging tasks (Control group, n=30). Driving performance suffered during text messaging tasks on participants’ Vehicle speeds, Driving maintenance, Reaction time (RT) and Time–to–collision (TTC), and Accidents. Results demonstrated that young drivers’ driving performance was negatively influenced by concurrent text messaging tasks. Participants in Text messaging group had significantly lower mean speed, much larger lane variation, and committed more accidents than drivers in Control group. Besides, their RTs were nearly twice as much as drivers’ in Control group while TTCs were only about one third of drivers’ in Control group. The findings lend further support of the dangers of young drivers being distracted by text messaging and suggest that the access to text messaging should be curtailed.
