Question

In the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study, what role did inattention play in crashes?

a. Almost none: more than 90% of crashes are associated with mechanical, weather, or road issues, not driver factors.
b. A little: only about 25% of crashes are associated with inattention, with the rest related to mechanical, weather, or road issues.,
c. Some: about half of crashes are associated with mechanical, weather or road issues and about half with driver inattention.
d. A lot: in most (80%) of crashes and in two-thirds (67%) of near crashes, the driver was inattentive three seconds before the incident.

Answer 1

In the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study, inattention played a significant role in crashes, with 80% of crashes and 67% of near crashes involving driver inattention prior to the incident.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study, the role of inattention in crashes was significant. The correct answer to the student’s question is d. A lot: in most (80%) of crashes and in two-thirds (67%) of near crashes, the driver was inattentive three seconds before the incident. This is a powerful indicator of how critical driver attention is to the safety of road travel. Inattentional blindness, a term used to describe a situation where individuals fail to notice fully visible objects because their attention is focused elsewhere, plays a key role in many vehicular accidents, as demonstrated by various studies like the one by Simons and Chabris where participants failed to notice a person in a gorilla costume during a ball-passing exercise.

Moreover, the use of cell phones was found to contribute to speeding violations according to fictional data from a study on the topic, emphasizing the dangers of distracted driving. In recent years, accidental deaths from drug overdoses have surpassed those from motor vehicle crashes; however, that does not diminish the importance of addressing driver inattention which has been, and continues to be, a leading contributor to road accidents.