Texting While Driving

Institution
Roma Tre University

Academic Programme
Master's Degree in Transportation and Highway Infrastructure Engineering

Final Grade
110/110 cum laude

Project Overview
Research project focused on the analysis of driver distraction induced by smartphone use while driving. The study investigated the effects of texting activities on driver behaviour through an immersive driving simulation environment (Calvi et al., 2023). The research included a comprehensive literature review, a large-scale survey on driving habits involving more than 1,200 participants, the development of experimental driving scenarios, the implementation of controlled distraction conditions, and the statistical assessment of driving performance under conventional texting and smartphone-optimised interfaces (Calvi et al., 2024). The objective was to evaluate the impact of smartphone-related distractions on road safety and to assess the effectiveness of emerging driver-oriented technologies such as Android Auto in mitigating distraction-related risks.

Case Study
Immersive Driving Simulator of the Interuniversity Research Centre for Road Safety (CRISS), Roma Tre University

Areas of Expertise Involved

• Driving Simulation 

• STISIM Drive Environment

• Road Safety Engineering

• Human Factors and Driver Behaviour

• Transportation Engineering

• Traffic Safety Analysis

• Driver Distraction Research

• Smartphone Use While Driving

• Experimental Design

• Statistical Data Analysis

• Human-Machine Interaction

Key Outcomes

• Development of an experimental methodology for assessing the effects of smartphone-induced distraction on driving performance

• Evaluation of behavioural and safety-related impacts associated with texting while driving

• Assessment of Android Auto as a driver support technology for reducing distraction-related effects

• Collection and analysis of behavioural data from immersive driving simulation experiments

• Identification of critical factors influencing driver attention, reaction capability and safety performance

Related Thesis
"Analysis of the Effects Induced by Texting While Driving on Driver Behaviour: A Driving Simulation Study"

Research Conducted During the Master's Degree Programme
March 2018 – July 2019

Publications

Calvi, A., D’Amico, F., Mustone, V., Vennarucci, A. (2023). L’utilizzo dello smartphone alla guida. Strade & Autostrade, 158, 203-208. ISSN 1723-2155

Calvi, A., D’Amico, F., Vennarucci, A. (2024). Distraction effects of manual texting and voice messaging when approaching pedestrian crossings on urban roads: a driving simulator study. European Transport, 97, 6. [10.48295/ET.2024.97.6.]