Scribd
Upload
30 views

Eileen Tran - Module - 7 - Student - Distraction

The document discusses driver distraction and outlines important points from an interview with the CEO of the Australian Road Safety Foundation. It mentions that inattention from distractions like phones, food, and activities is a leading cause of crashes. Phones are highlighted as a major distraction, both handheld and hands-free, since humans can only focus on one task at a time. The interviewee advises to turn phones off while driving to avoid distractions.

Uploaded by

Eileen Tran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
30 views

Eileen Tran - Module - 7 - Student - Distraction

The document discusses driver distraction and outlines important points from an interview with the CEO of the Australian Road Safety Foundation. It mentions that inattention from distractions like phones, food, and activities is a leading cause of crashes. Phones are highlighted as a major distraction, both handheld and hands-free, since humans can only focus on one task at a time. The interviewee advises to turn phones off while driving to avoid distractions.

Uploaded by

Eileen Tran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Module

7
Distraction
Student Worksheet

Student Activity
Read the interview below with Russell White, CEO of the Australian Road Safety
Foundation. Russell outlines important points about the growing issue of driver distraction
and what we can do about it. Underline the distractions mentioned and keep note of some of
the actions that reduce risk.

Interview with Russell White, CEO of the Australian Road Safety Foundation

What are some of the biggest issues with driving on the road today? RW: With the
pressures of daily life being what they are, it seems that we're more or less expected to
be able to do more than one thing at a time. This "multi-tasking" culture also continues
when we get behind the wheel and that's a big problem.
Inattention is one of the leading contributing factors when it comes to traffic crashes. So,
what is inattention? It basically means being distracted from the task at hand. I'm sure we've
all seen distracted drivers doing things like programming the satellite navigation unit,
changing a music track, daydreaming, checking out things by the roadside, getting dressed,
putting on makeup and eating. These are just a few examples. All of these types of activities
distract the driver from the driving task and compromise their focus or situational
awareness.

Are mobile phones distractions?


RW: Of course, we can’t fully cover this topic without discussing the use of mobile phones.
You might think about your phone as the key to your life. But it is a major distraction for you
when you are on the road. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving and
with very good reason. There are also additional restrictions on L and P plate drivers. These
restrictions are there because you already have a heavy workload with driving at this early
stage, and distraction only complicates things further...

Why are mobile phones such a distraction?


RW: It all comes down to workload. Humans cannot multitask, we process things
sequentially. That means we can’t focus on two tasks at the same time. Research shows
that when drivers are using a mobile phone their ability to focus and deal with what is going
on around them is greatly impacted. This results in people spending considerable amounts
of time not looking at the road ahead because they are engaging with the device, looking
down at a screen or pre-occupied with some aspect of the device. We see issues like poor
lane positioning, increased reaction times and people not being aware of what’s going on
around them.

What about hands-free mobile phones?


RW: The potential risk with mobile phones doesn’t just sit with handheld operations. It also
extends to hands-free use as well. The key problem surrounding mobiles and driving is the
distraction that the conversation itself causes, hands-free or not. So, while it may still be
legal to use a hands-free unit, it would be a good idea to think about the implications any
phone conversation could have on your driving.
What advice can you give young Australians, our future drivers?
RW: The best advice is to leave the phone off when you drive and let the calls go to your
message bank.
What is the reality of this situation?

www.roadset.com.au I 1300 723 843 I www.arsf.com.au

RW: Mobile devices are a large part of our daily lives, but we need to understand that there
are times when you can’t afford to be distracted. Driving or being on a road is one of those
times.
The reality is that we can’t split our concentration between two tasks. It's not possible to do
two things at once without compromising your focus. When you’re behind the wheel you
need to focus on just one job, driving the car. Everything else is a distraction that could have
catastrophic consequences.

Thank you for your time today.


There are many different types of driver distraction. Three categories of driver distraction are
physical distraction (touching), visual distraction (looking) and cognitive distraction (thinking).
Distractions make driving risker, so it is important to reduce the number of driver distractions
to improve road safety.

In the interview, there were many distractions mentioned.


List some of the distractions in the categories below. Can you also think of an action
to reduce risk? Write it below.

Driver distractions mentioned in the interview


Physical Visual Cognitive

e.g. touching your phone e.g. looking at a screen e.g. talking on the phone

Action to reduce risk


2

www.roadset.com.au I 1300 723 843 I


www.arsf.com.au

You might also like