Driver distraction and driver inattention: Definition, relationship and taxonomy

There is accumulating evidence that driver distraction and driver inattention are leading causes of vehicle crashes and incidents. However, as applied psychological constructs, they have been inconsistently defined and the relationship between them remains unclear. In this paper, driver distraction and driver inattention are defined and a taxonomy is presented in which driver distraction is distinguished from other forms of driver inattention. The taxonomy and the definitions provided are intended (a) to provide a common framework for coding different forms of driver inattention as contributing factors in crashes and incidents, so that comparable estimates of their role as contributing factors can be made across different studies, and (b) to make it possible to more accurately interpret and compare, across studies, the research findings for a given form of driver inattention.

► We review previous definitions of driver distraction and driver inattention.
► We define and characterise driver distraction and driver inattention.
► We distinguish between different categories of internalized thought.
► We propose a new taxonomy of driver inattention.