Exploring the mechanisms of distraction from in-vehicle technology: The development of the PARRC model

•In-vehicle technology is posing an increasingly large threat to driver distraction.•Application of grounded theory reveals mechanisms by which technology contributes to distraction.•Utilising the PAARC model, a case study indicates the role of wider system elements in mitigating distraction.

Technological advances are impacting in-vehicle systems, providing more secondary tasks for drivers to engage with. The adverse impacts of this on driver safety requires further insight to determine the mechanisms involved in distraction and countermeasures to mitigate it. Contemporary approaches highlight the need to move away from individualistic strategies in distraction mitigation, towards a systems perspective that accounts for the road transport system as a whole. This paper applied grounded theory to identify five key factors of distraction and their relationships that were incorporated into the Priority, Adapt, Resource, Regulate, Conflict (PARRC) systems model of driver distraction. Applying this model to a case study suggests how taking a systems perspective to the phenomenon may hold elements within the wider road transport system responsible for distraction incidents. This opens up the potential for countermeasures higher up in the causal chain of events.