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Objective The aim of this review is to identify how visual occlusion contributes to our understanding of attentional demand and spare visual capacity in driving and the strengths and limitations of the method. Background The occlusion technique was developed by John W. Senders to evaluate the attentional demand of driving. Despite its utility, it has been used infrequently in driver attention/inattention research. Method Visual occlusion studies in driving published between 1967 and 2020 were reviewed. The focus was on original studies in which the forward visual field was intermittently occluded while the participant was driving. Results Occlusion studies have shown that attentional demand varies across situations and drivers and have indicated environmental, situational, and inter-individual factors behind the variability. The occlusion technique complements eye tracking in being able to indicate the temporal requirements for and redundancy in visual information sampling. The proper selection of occlusion settings depends on the target of the research. Conclusion Although there are a number of occlusion studies looking at various aspects of attentional demand, we are still only beginning to understand how these demands vary, interact, and covary in naturalistic driving. Application The findings of this review have methodological and theoretical implications for human factors research and for the development of distraction monitoring and in-vehicle system testing. Distraction detection algorithms and testing guidelines should consider the variability in drivers' situational and individual spare visual capacity.

Objective The present study strove to distinguish traffic-related glances away from the forward roadway from non-traffic-related glances while assessing the minimum amount of visual information intake necessary for safe driving in particular scenarios. Background Published gaze-based distraction detection algorithms and guidelines for distraction prevention essentially measure the time spent looking away from the forward roadway, without incorporating situation-based attentional requirements. Incorporating situation-based attentional requirements would entail an approach that not only considers the time spent looking elsewhere but also checks whether all necessary information has been sampled. Method We assess the visual sampling requirements for the forward view based on 25 experienced drivers' self-paced visual occlusion in real motorway traffic, dependent on a combination of situational factors, and compare these with their corresponding glance behavior in baseline driving. Results Occlusion durations were on average 3 times longer than glances away from the forward roadway, and they varied substantially depending on particular maneuvers and on the proximity of other traffic, showing that interactions with nearby traffic increase perceived uncertainty. The frequency of glances away from the forward roadway was relatively stable across proximity levels and maneuvers, being very similar to what has been found in naturalistic driving. Conclusion Glances away from the forward roadway proved qualitatively different from occlusions in both their duration and when they occur. Our findings indicate that glancing away from the forward roadway for driving purposes is not the same as glancing away for other purposes, and that neither is necessarily equivalent to distraction.

VTI was commissioned by the Swedish Government to compile relevant research on mobile phone and other communication device usage whilst driving. Thus, a sub-set of those activities that can distract a driver in traffic are treated in the compilation. A review of several hundred publications reveals that the topic is very complex. Even though a large number of controlled studies show that using a mobile telephone while driving has a negative impact on driving performance, this was not reflected by a strong increase in crash rates in real traffic. Both the conversation itself and manipulating a telephone have negative effects on driving performance. When writing a SMS or using a telephone in a similar manner the driver takes the eyes off the road, often several times consecutively, and at times for longer periods of time. This results in decreased control of the vehicle and an increased risk that the driver misses crucial events in traffic. During a telephone conversation the driver does tend to look at the road, but nevertheless also conversation research has found prolonged reaction times and missed traffic events. Many drivers think that it is safer to use a hands-free set than a handheld telephone, but this has not been confirmed by the available research. Most EU countries have hands-free requirements, however, many drivers do not comply with the legislation. Bans on handheld mobile phones and on texting when driving do not appear to reduce the number of crashes.

Objective: To investigate the influence of prior experience with Level 2 automation on additional task performance during manual and Level 2 partially automated driving. Background: Level 2 automation is now on the market, but its effects on driver behavior remain unclear. Based on previous studies, we could expect an increase in drivers' engagement in secondary tasks during Level 2 automated driving, but it is yet unknown how drivers will integrate all the ongoing demands in such situations. Method: Twenty-one drivers (12 without, 9 with Level 2 automation experience) drove on a highway manually and with Level 2 automation (exemplified by Volvo Pilot Assist generation 2; PA2) while performing an additional task. In half of the conditions, the task could be interrupted (self-paced), and in the other half, it could not (system-paced). Drivers' visual attention, additional task performance, and other compensatory strategies were analyzed. Results: Driving with PA2 led to decreased scores in the additional task and more visual attention to the dashboard. In the self-paced condition, all drivers looked more to the task and perceived a lower mental demand. The drivers experienced with PA2 used the system and the task more than the novice group and performed more overtakings. Conclusions: The additional task interfered more with Level 2 automation than with manual driving. The drivers, particularly the automation novice drivers, used some compensatory strategies. Applications: Automation designers need to consider these potential effects in the development of future automated systems.

Objective To assess the attentional demand of different contextual factors in driving. Background The attentional demand on the driver varies with the situation. One approach for estimating the attentional demand, via spare capacity, is to use visual occlusion. Method Using a 3 × 5 within-subjects design, 33 participants drove in a fixed-base simulator in three scenarios (i.e., urban, rural, and motorway), combined with five fixed occlusion durations (1.0, 1.4, 1.8, 2.2, and 2.6 s). By pressing a microswitch on a finger, the driver initiated each occlusion, which lasted for the same predetermined duration within each trial. Drivers were instructed to occlude their vision as often as possible while still driving safely. Results Stepwise logistic regression per scenario indicated that the occlusion predictors varied with scenario. In the urban environment, infrastructure-related variables had the biggest influence, whereas the distance to oncoming traffic played a major role on the rural road. On the motorway, occlusion duration and time since the last occlusion were the main determinants. Conclusion Spare capacity is dependent on the scenario, selected speed, and individual factors. This is important for developing workload managers, infrastructural design, and aspects related to transfer of control in automated driving. Application Better knowledge of the determinants of spare capacity in the road environment can help improve workload managers, thereby contributing to more efficient and safer interaction with additional tasks.

Sweden is the only country in Europe that does not outlaw handheld phone use while driving. This puts some political pressure on Sweden. The Swedish Government commissioned VTI to conduct a literature review on the effects of mobile communication on driving performance, on the legal situation in other countries, and whether there were any documented effects of a legislation. The literature showed that mobile communication does influence driving behaviour, but there appears to be no increased crash risk in real traffic. Also, laws do not have a lasting effect on how much drivers use their telephones. Therefore, the Swedish Government commissioned VTI to suggest countermeasures against the dangerous use of communication devices. Several countermeasures were presented, ranging from technical solutions over monetary incentives to education and information. It was stressed that no single countermeasure was expected to be satisfactory in itself, and that it is paramount to work with a human centred perspective. While the government proposed in December 2012 not to outlaw handheld phone use, the united political opposition, via its majority in the parliament, mandated the government in March 2013 to pass such a law. Besides that, the government proposed amendments to the current regulations for quick action.

Kile, S. N.: The controversy over Iran's nuclear programme. - S. 1-21 Saiyadpur, S. K.: The evolution of Iran's national security doctrine. - S. 22-26 Ahlström, C.: The EU strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. - S. 27-46 Roshandel, J.: The nuclear controversy in the context of Iran's evolving defence strategy. - S. 47-71 Ali Balouji, H.: The process of national security decision making in Iran. - S. 72-96 Quille, G.; Keane, R.: The EU and Iran: towards a new political and security dialogue. - S. 97-121 Kile, S. N.: Final thoughts on Iran, EU and the limits of conditionality. - S. 122-135

The use of mobile phone and similar devices while driving has been a topic of discussion and research for several years. It is now an established fact that driving performance is deteriorated due to distraction but no clear conclusions can yet be drawn concerning influence on crash rates. Better studies on this relationship is needed. Most countries in Europe and many countries elsewhere have introduced different types of bans for handheld devices. Sweden has, however, no such bans. VTI was commissioned by the Swedish Government to outline possible means to reduce the dangerous usage of mobile phones and other communication devices while driving as alternatives to banning. This task was a result of a previous VTI-state-of-the-art review of research on mobile phone and other communication device usage while driving. One of the findings in the review was that bans on handheld phones did not appear to reduce the number of crashes. Eighteen different countermeasures in three main areas were suggested. (1) Technical solutions such as countermeasures directed towards the infrastructure, the vehicle and the communication device. (2) Education and information, describing different ways to increase knowledge and understanding among stakeholders and different driver categories. (3) Different possibilities for how society, industry and organisations can influence the behaviour of individuals, via policies, rules, recommendations and incentives. Our conclusion is that a combination of different countermeasures is needed – where education and information to the drivers are combined with support and incentives for a safe usage of different communication devices.

Denna rapport behandlar tänkbara åtgärder för att reducera farligt användande av mobiltelefon och annan kommunikationsutrustning under körning. En viktig del i uppdraget var att belysa alternativ till lagstiftning om förbud. Åtgärdsförslagen täcker flera områden. Ett av dem är teknik, vilket innefattar både teknik i fordonet, teknik i kommunikationsutrustningen och en sammankoppling med infrastrukturen. Ett annat område handlar om utbildning och information och beskriver olika sätt att öka människans kunskap och förståelse. Ett tredje område belyser olika möjligheter som samhället har att påverka människans beteende, både via förbud och lagar och via incitament. En lista över samtliga åtgärdsförslag finns på rapportens baksida. Det finns både för- och nackdelar med användandet av kommunikationsutrustning under körning. Hur användandet ska hanteras är ett komplext problem och det är osannolikt att en enskild åtgärd står för hela lösningen. En åtgärd kan till och med vara beroende av att andra åtgärder redan är implementerade. Många åtgärder har en baksida och man kan inte förvänta sig tydliga målbilder och rakt igenom positiva resultat. Man måste därför lyfta blicken och inse att om fördelarna överväger nackdelarna så är åtgärden värd att genomföra. Olika åtgärder kan dock stärka varandra och delvis fånga upp möjliga negativa sidoeffekter. Vi anser att en kombination av olika åtgärder som dels utbildar och informerar och dels stöttar föraren i att kunna hantera kommunikation på ett säkert sätt är att föredra över ett förbud av användningen av kommunikationsutrustning under färd likt det som idag finns i andra europeiska länder. En kontinuerlig uppföljning och utvärdering krävs för att säkerställa att åtgärderna har förväntad effekt. ; This report outlines possible means to reduce the dangerous usage of mobile phones and other communication devices while driving. An important aspect of this commission was to demonstrate alternatives to legislation. The suggested countermeasures cover several areas. One is technical solutions, including countermeasures directed towards the infrastructure, the vehicle and the communication device. Another area includes education and information and describes different ways to increase knowledge and understanding. Furthermore, there are different possibilities for how society can influence the behaviour of individuals, both via bans, recommendations and incentives. The usage of communication devices while driving has both advantages and disadvantages. How to deal with device usage is a complex problem, and it is unlikely that one single countermeasure can provide a complete solution. One countermeasure may even depend on the implementation of others. The exact effect of most countermeasures is hard to predict, and possible side effects may occur. It is therefore necessary to be pragmatic, meaning that countermeasures whose advantages outweigh their disadvantages should be implemented. Also, different countermeasures can reinforce each other which may attenuate negative side effects. It is our opinion that a combination of different countermeasures – which educate and inform the driver while at the same time support him or her in a safe usage of communication devices – is preferable to a law against communication device usage while driving. Continuous follow-ups are necessary to ensure the outcome of implemented countermeasures.