A new study is testing what influence age and driving experience has on a driver’s attention development.
Currently motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death among US teenagers, with failure to pay proper attention to the road being the primary contributor.
Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham aim to find out more about the relationship between young age and low driving experience to driving attention.
“We believe this new study will help reveal how those factors can actually predict driving attention and driving outcomes,” said Despina Stavrinos, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Psychology.
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is looking for 18-year-old volunteers who have either just received their driver’s license within the past two weeks or do not have their driver’s license or permit and do not intend to have a change in licensure status for the duration of the 18 month study. Participants will be asked to operate a virtual reality simulator and complete questionnaires and computerized tasks. They will also complete biweekly surveys.
For more information or to enroll in the study, contact the UAB TRIPLab at triplab@uab.edu or 205-975-9440.
