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 Post subject: Distraction survey
PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:07 
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The Highways Agency are currently running a survey on driver distraction which can be found here:

http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/17859.aspx

It seems to be rather slanted to prove a point about roadside advertising being distracting, but does give you the opportunity to mention other sources of distraction you might find along the roads.

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:24 
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On question 20, do we suppose they've added an extra '0' by mistake?

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 15:22 
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I did go on about the b****dy little signs that tell you what hours bus lane regs apply. :D

Around here some stretches are Mon-Fri 7am - 7pm and some all day everyday and the signs are too small to be easily read from a moving car. Stupid! stupid! stupid! But then so are bus lanes.

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 15:38 
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Quote:
It seems to be rather slanted to prove a point about roadside advertising being distracting


To put it mildly!


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PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 15:46 
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It is like a lot of surveys.

Someone has a bee in their bonnet and decide to produce figures backing up their point of view.

Then they can produce a report "89% of people against whatever-the-hell I am trying to have banned" and use those figures to back a call for action.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 02:03 
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LISTEN!!!!..................

If I want an accident, I'll ruddy well have one.......

Just DON'T try to analyse me!.................OK?





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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 02:16 
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Is there an option in this survey for speedo and hunting for little yellow boxes up on poles?

edit: just done it and the answer is: not really, however I did add this to the comments section at the bottom:

One important point worth mentioning is the use of the overhead information signs to display information that, whilst driving related, does not relate directly to the road conditions at the time eg. "think - always wear your seatbelt".
I was under the impression that the purpose of these signs was to provide warning of something important going on ahead, so when I waste time reading it only to be told something that has been drilled into my head since childhood, not only does it provide an unwelcome temporary distraction, but it also makes me less inclined to read them at all, though to be honest, given the number of times they are left of after the hazard has cleared, or are stating the bloody obvious (eg. fog) I tend to take them with a very large pinch of salt anyway.


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:32 
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The section asking how you think drivers in general react to signs is ridiculous.

I used the comments sections to point out that signs that flash on as you approach a hazard can be very distracting e.g. VAS

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 13:56 
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It seemed to be a way of finiding out how much drivers are distracted by signs by asking them, rather than by trying to find out.

So I answered a lot of the questions by putting 'don't know'; how do I know how much other drivers are distracted by signs?


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 14:23 
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Johnnytheboy wrote:
So I answered a lot of the questions by putting 'don't know'; how do I know how much other drivers are distracted by signs?


:yesyes:

Likewise, I commented something to that effect also.

You can imagine the results. In a recent survey 90% of drivers think that 82% of other drivers are affected by advertising.

In the 'what do you find distracting' section I put Other - "I find other road users behaving in a hazardous manner distracting. VAS that flash as you approach a hazard are also distracting."

Told them that the only time I really notice advertising is when I am stationary in a queue.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 23:06 
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Expect some time in near future a survey result that says "British drivers find road side advertising distracting /dangerous " Someone somewhere has a research grant to prove that advertising is dangerous (IMHO) - they might as well add excessive signing/ misuse of gantry signs/fake camera signs / vehicle parking on motorway bridges and pseudo marked police vehicles to the list, and of course the unconscious camera seeking tendency of the motorway driver.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 07:24 
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specs camerasare distracting... :D

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 14:42 
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anton wrote:
specs camerasare distracting... :D


I find watching your speedo and the average mph readout as well as resetting the latter as you pass the cameras more of an issue. ;)

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:49 
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Lum wrote:
One important point worth mentioning is the use of the overhead information signs to display information that, whilst driving related, does not relate directly to the road conditions at the time eg. "think - always wear your seatbelt".


The messages I like, which I have only seen in Scotland to date, are the ones about being a considerate driver, not tailgating and the like. Much like those white chevrons they can cause people to realise they are inadvertently following too closely, though unlike the chevrons they do not provide an ongoing distraction.


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 13:12 
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RobinXe wrote:
The messages I like, which I have only seen in Scotland to date, are the ones about being a considerate driver, not tailgating and the like. Much like those white chevrons they can cause people to realise they are inadvertently following too closely, though unlike the chevrons they do not provide an ongoing distraction.

The gantries round here are now generally used to display the time and distance to the next major junction, which is far more useful and less irritating than patronising "safety" messages.

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 21:59 
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PeterE wrote:
The gantries round here are now generally used to display the time and distance to the next major junction, which is far more useful and less irritating than patronising "safety" messages.


As are those further south -- either trying to tell us that we can drive at xx mph, or a challenge to some to beat that time -

What bothers me is that sooner or later the goodies will decide that this is gospel and make it their business to make all observe it . :lol:

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 23:01 
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toltec wrote:
anton wrote:
specs camerasare distracting... :D


I find watching your speedo and the average mph readout as well as resetting the latter as you pass the cameras more of an issue. ;)


Absolutely - the survey may WELL be tainted later to sau that a survey was done showing that only 1% of people find that cameras are distracting !

They have deliberately got you thinking about other things and small bus lone signs - not cameras at all -- these things are seriously geared up to give then the results that they seek. Mind I am sure that an FOI (freedom of Information) aimed in the right direction should maybe help give us the answer's in full for us to look into too !
It was shown once how 2 chaps driven a certain route both came up with a logo almost identical to the one that Paul Mackenna had done before they left to go on the route. It is all pyscological profiling make 'understanding' the human mind and behaviours, and consequential behaviours ..... very sad that they want to play these games with people's lives at stake and for their own greedy goals ....

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 17:47 
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This is a cognitive processing issue. It can be measured.

-Define distraction, put different versions of it into a controlled experiment.
-Compare distracted performance against non distracted performance.

Why are people's attitudes to distraction being asked for? The discrepancy between good drivers who manage risk (and distractors) effectively and those who don't in terms of accident frequency is well established.

Too much focus on distractors themselves and not enough focus on drivers' responsibility to pay due attention to the road won't achieve much. I might be slightly distracted by lifting a buttock to break wind but it will only cause an accident if I let it. The term 'distraction' isn't defined and as such the survey is placed on even shakier scientific footing.

The omission of speed enforcement as a potential distractor further shows that corporate agenda is limiting any real attempt to be open and engaging with the public.

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