American Driver and Traffic
Safety Education Association
2011 Conference
17 July 2011
The University Driver and Traffic Safety Teacher
Preparation Program and Distracted Driving
Presented by
Dale O. Ritzel, Ph.D.
Past-president, Illinois High School and
College Driver Education Association
dritzel@siu.edu
Overview
1
Definition of Distracted Driving
2
Types of Distractions
4
Strategies for implementing distracted
driving into Driver Education
Driver Education Teacher Prep. Inclusion
Programs of Distracted Driving Topics
5
Summary
3
Definition of Distracted Driving
Definition of Distracted Driving
Distraction involves a diversion of
attention from driving, because the
driver is temporarily focusing on an
object, person, task, or event not
related to driving, which reduces the
driver’s awareness, decision-making,
and/or performance, leading to an
increased risk of corrective actions,
near-crashes, or crashes.*
* International Conference on Distracted Driving (April 2006). Summary of Proceedings and
Recommendations. Toronto, Canada, 2-5 October 2005 (page 2).
Types of Distractions
There are three main types of
distraction:
 Visual — taking your eyes off the road;
 Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
 Cognitive — taking your mind off what you
are doing.*
* National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2008). Statistics and Facts about Distracted Driving.
Based on the 2008 National Occupant Protection Use Survey [online]. Retrieved 12 June 2011:
http://www.distraction.gov/stats-and-facts/#what .
Teaching/Learning strategies for
implementing distracted driving into the
Driver Education Curriculum
Get students directly involved with the
issues of technology and distracted
driving.
Do not focus just upon statistics and
data.
Try an approach like Measuring Your
Media.
Warm-up
 Begin by brainstorming with students what they
remember about their lives in 2005. To get their ideas
flowing, ask students what grade they were in and/or
how old they were, what they did for fun and what
their favorite activities and prized possessions were.
 When the conversation lands on technology and
media like the Internet, video games and cell phone
use, tell them that a new study has revealed how
media use as a whole has changed since 2005
among kids aged 8 to 18. Give them five minutes to
write in their journals about what these changes
might be.
Measuring your Media
When they are finished, distribute
copies of the Measuring Your Media*
survey (PDF) for them to complete. As
they share their answers, tabulate them
and create a bar graph on the board or
chart paper. Or, use software to create
graphs or charts depicting their
collective media product use in 2005
and 2011 and the time spent using
media in 2005 and 2011.
* The New York Times (2010).
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/learning/pdf/2010/20100122mediasurvey.pdf
Driver Education Teacher Preparation Inclusion
Programs on Distracted Driving Topics
 From Wisconsin - A newly certified or first-time
licensed Driver and Traffic Safety Education teacher:
Is able to provide learning experiences that address
the need for, and importance of: proper passenger
restraint usage; not riding with someone who has
been drinking; sober driving; and properly dealing
with items that distract attention to the driving task.
 On 20 April 2011, Southwest Minnesota State
University conducted a Arrive Alive program where
they use a high-tech simulator, impact video, and a
number of other resources to educate students
about the dangers of texting while driving. The
simulator allowed students to experience in a
controlled environment the potential consequences
of distracted driving.
Driver Education Teacher Preparation Inclusion
Programs on Distracted Driving Topics
 In Illinois, some of the things that Universities do in regards to
driver education teacher preparation is introduce the topic in
our driving task analysis, driver education classroom teaching,
and the driving simulation and driving range parts of their
driver education laboratory courses.
 For example in the driving simulators, we have the future driver
education text messages while they are driving to the video
Crash Avoidance II. This experience gives then an opportunity
to see how their perception time and reaction time is slowed.
 In the driving task analysis course, we have an activity where
the future driver education teachers try to catch a rule which is
dropped vertically with and without a cellphone.
 Hands-on Exercise: Card Sorting and Distraction activity is
used by some of the Universities to teach future teachers about
distracted driving.
Hands-on Exercise: Card Sorting and
Distraction*
 Approximate Time: 4 minutes
 Equipment: Deck of playing cards, stopwatch
 Directions:
1. Select one participant to perform the exercise.
2. Time how long it takes the participant to sort the
cards into 4 piles by suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs
and spades).
3. Share the elapsed time with the class.
4. Repeat step 2, but while reading the addition
problems aloud to the participant and waiting for the
participant to provide the answer. Ask the participant
to answer as many problems correctly as possible.
* 2007© AAA Driver Training Programs
Hands-on Exercise: Card Sorting and
Distraction
(Whether the answers are correct or not is not
relevant- the addition task is to provide a distracter).
5. Share the new elapsed time with the class,
explaining that the more tasks the brain is required
to perform at one time, the longer it takes to perform
any single one.
So, we can see that even in this simple exercise:
 • The more things we try to do at once, the less effective we
can be at any single one
 • Our ability to make decisions is reduced because of the
multiple tasks attempted
 • It demonstrates the need to place our primary focus on
driving when we’re behind the wheel.
Education activities should follow
several guiding principles:
 Target specific behaviors and audiences; avoid
general messages such as “everyone should pay
attention while driving”.
 Use positive messages, perhaps incorporating
social norming techniques (“join the majority”).
 Use social marketing techniques to make biggest
impact on most important group.
 Encourage specific behaviors based on best
practices.
 Be truthful and memorable.
 Practice what you preach about distracted driving
(in other words don’t drive distracted).
If you need further information please
contact:
Dale O. Ritzel
President, IHSCDEA
109 Pine Lane
Murphysboro IL 62966-5232
email – dritzel@siu.edu
Professor/Director Emeritus, Southern
Illinois University