The effect of driver cognitive abilities and distractions on situation awareness and performance under hazard conditions

- Cognitive abilities mediate driver situation awareness and driving behavior types.
- Secondary cognitive task negatively affects all levels of driver SA, workload and performance.
- Drivers exhibit greater dependence on SA after roadway hazard exposure.

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of cognitive abilities in driver situation awareness (SA) and performance. Sixteen participants drove a high-fidelity driving simulator and experienced a hazard condition (a vehicle turning into their lane). In general, exposure to the hazard resulted in a subsequent increase in driver SA in follow-on driving. Working memory and visual-cognitive skills appeared to be critical to supporting driver SA after hazard exposure. Findings indicated that tactical driving tasks place greater demands on cognitive abilities and levels of SA for successful performance, as compared to operational and strategic tasks. Correlations among measures of driver cognitive ability, SA and performance provide a basis for future development of a relational model of the roles of cognition and SA in driving.

Graphical Abstract