Research Finds ‘Sixth Sense’ Related To Distracted Driving

by, Robert J. Box

Widely accepted research studies have already shown the dangers of distracted driving, but new research reveals a “sixth sense” that helps drivers keep vehicles on the road, and how distracted driving could temporarily disable that “sixth sense” and lead to incidents.

A growing problem

Distracted driving continues to plague driving safety worldwide, and statistics show the problem is getting worse in the United States.  According to distraction.gov, 3,154 people were killed as a result of distracted driving in 2013 compared to 3,179 in 2014.  In 2013, 424,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes caused by distracted driving compared to 431,000 in 2014.

There are many forms of distracted driving, but talking or texting on mobile phones usually receive a brunt of the blame for distracted driving hazards.  But why is talking on a mobile phone worse than another form of distracted driving:  A driver talking to a passenger?  It’s not –they represent virtually the same hazard according to research conducted by the University of Houston and Texas A&M University’s Transportation Institute.  However, texting or Web browsing while driving is far worse than talking on the phone or to a passenger, and researchers now know why.

The driver’s “sixth sense”

Ioannis Pavlidis, a UH computer science professor who co-authored the research report published May 13 in the Scientific Advances journal, says drivers have a “sixth sense” that acts as an autopilot to help the driver keep the vehicle on the road.  But if the driver looks away from the road to concentrate on something else, such as briefly fiddling with the radio, surfing the Internet or texting, then the driver’s brain shuts off that autopilot.

Of course we don’t need research to tell us that we are safer when drivers keep their eyes on the road, but the problem of looking away appears to be more disruptive to driving safely than we might otherwise assume, according to the study.

“A crucial part of how humans’ brains adapt is their anterior cingulate cortex, which research has shown compensates when people are stressed.  So someone slightly nervous can steer straight even if they are jittery, because their cortex instructs the muscles to move left for every right movement caused by the nervousness,” Pavlidis said.

But this autopilot cannot function when the driver’s eyes are off the road, and the autopilot does not immediately return when the driver’s eyes return to the road.  “The effect [of interrupting the “sixth sense”] takes time to wear off,” says Pavlidis.  “Simply looking back at the road doesn’t fully snap the person back into focus on driving.”  According to the research, an additional few seconds, and in some cases more, is required to establish the anterior cingulate cortex’s autopilot once the driver’s eyes return to the road.

Studies do not solve the problem by themselves

The findings of distracted driving studies are interesting, but they are typically not surprising.  What is surprising is the fact that mobile phone induced distracted driving is an issue at all when it is plausible for technology to solve the problem, or at least greatly reduce it.  Until automobile manufacturers and mobile phone manufacturers collaborate to resolve the growing problem of mobile phone induced distracted driving, either willingly or by governmental intervention, the problem will continue to grow.

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