Advisor(s)
Despina Stavrinos
David Schwebel
Committee Member(s)
Aaron Fobian
Matthew Thompson
Sylvie Mrug
School
College of Arts and Sciences
Document Type
Dissertation
Department (new version)
Psychology
Date of Award
9-9-2024
Abstract
Rear-ending a stopped lead vehicle is the most common motor vehicle crash (MVC) scenario among all drivers. However, novice teen drivers experience a higher rate of rear-end MVCs relative to experienced adults. Given that MVC risk among novice teen drivers is at its highest during the first three months of licensure, it is especially relevant to better understand car following behaviors of novice teen drivers during this critical developmental window, as well as factors that may affect a teen’s attentional capabilities. The present study examined how recently-licensed teens negotiated a simulated car following task with and without cellular phone distractions. Seventy-nine participants, including 16-year-olds (n = 56) and 18-year-olds (n = 23), were recruited within two weeks of licensure. Participants completed a car-following task in a simulated driving environment under three distraction conditions (no distraction, talking on a cellphone, texting), wherein the drivers’ car following distance, speed, braking reaction time, and maximum brake force were captured at the moment the lead vehicle initiated its brake lights. Participants also completed an anxiety symptom screener, as well as a battery of measures of attention, working memory, processing speed, and inhibitory control. A series of individual linear mixed models revealed overall differences in car following behaviors based on distraction condition, such that novice teens drove with smaller car following distance and used greater maximum brake force while talking on a cell phone, and used slower speeds, slower braking reaction time, and greater maximum brake force while texting. Models also revealed individual contributory effects of attention, inhibitory control, and processing speed. Exploratory analyses comparing age groups revealed age-related differences in car following performance based on anxiety, attention, inhibitory control, processing speed, and working memory. Age-related effects were qualified by sensitivity analyses comparing results after removing a subset of participants who did not meet full inclusion criteria. Findings add to the growing literature on how novice drivers execute critical motor vehicle maneuvers, as well as mediating factors that may promote or deter safety. Findings also have the potential to inform driver education protocols to improve on-road safety outcomes for this population.
ProQuest ID
Recommended Citation
Sherrod, Gabriela Marie, "The Effects of Intraindividual Factors on Distracted Car Following Behavior in Newly Licensed Teen Drivers" (2024). All ETDs from UAB. 7560.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/7560
