Longitudinal Examination of Driving Attention Among Adolescents

机动车碰撞是青少年发病和死亡的主要原因， 在16至19岁的青少年中，死亡人数约占三分之一。MVC的主要贡献者 是驾驶员注意力不集中，表现为易分心。然而，年轻人的相对贡献 低驾驶经验对驾驶注意力不集中的影响仍未得到解决，注意力的总体发展 在青春期的过程中几乎没有得到研究。这项研究的中心假设是， 注意力和驾驶结果是由年龄和驾驶经验预测的， 潜在的认知机制（一般注意力，处理速度和执行功能）。长 该研究项目的长期目标是解释青少年机动车碰撞风险的病因， 将调查结果转化为循证干预措施。在这项纵向研究中，将招募220名青少年 在四组55岁的人中：16岁和18岁的有驾驶经验和没有驾驶经验的人。 青少年将 执行 一般和驾驶的注意力任务，以及认知功能任务，在七个时间点以上， 18个月析因设计和纵向设计的结合将允许对独立和 随着时间的推移，年龄和驾驶经验对驾驶注意力的联合影响。将采用多种方法， 测量驾驶结果，包括在高保真驾驶模拟器中驾驶，自我报告和状态碰撞 记录模拟器中的驾驶注意力也将在几种分心条件下进行检查，因为 分心的存在挑战注意力，并且是MVC风险的重要因素。一种新型车内眼- 跟踪方法将跟踪18个月内驱动注意力发展的变化。四个具体目标 被提议。目标1：描述驱动注意力发展的轨迹作为年龄的函数 驾驶经验。目的2：描述年龄和驾驶经验在驾驶注意力中的作用 在不同程度的分心下。目标3：检查潜在认知机制的作用 （一般注意力，处理速度，执行功能）在驱动注意力发展中的作用， 年龄和驾驶经验。目标4：研究驾驶特定注意力的发展 影响驱动结果。对社会来说，MVCs是一个沉重的负担，代价高昂。以注意力不集中为主要原因 作为MVC的贡献者，关键是要更清楚地了解驾驶注意力是如何在 驾驶员最危险的发育期：青少年期（16至18岁）。拟议研究的结果 有可能通过以下方式减少MVC：（a）制定关于最佳年龄和执照经验的政策 以及对年轻司机施加的限制;（B）为改善公共卫生的干预措施提供目标。

Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among adolescents, accounting for approximately one in three deaths among teens ages 16 to 19. The primary contributor to MVCs is driver inattention, which manifests as vulnerability to distraction. Yet, the relative contributions of young age and low driving experience to driving inattention remains unsettled and the general development of attention over the course of adolescence has received little study. The central hypothesis of this study is that driving attention and driving outcomes are predicted by age and driving experience through improvements in underlying cognitive mechanisms (general attention, speed of processing, and executive function). The long term goal of the research program is to explain the etiology of adolescent motor vehicle crash risk and translate findings to evidence-based interventions. In this longitudinal study, 220 adolescents will be enrolled across four groups of 55: 16 and 18 year olds with and without driving experience. The adolescents will perform general and driving based attention tasks, as well as cognitive function tasks at seven time points over 18 months. The combination of factorial and longitudinal designs will permit study of both the independent and joint effects of age and driving experience on driving attention over time. Multiple methods will be used to measure driving outcomes, including driving in a high fidelity driving simulator, self-report, and state crash records. Driving attention in the simulator will also be examined under several distraction conditions, because the presence of distractions challenges attention and is an important factor in MVC risk. Novel in-vehicle eye- tracking methodologies will track changes in driving attention development over 18 months. Four Specific Aims are proposed. Aim 1: Characterize the trajectory of driving attention development as a function of age and driving experience. Aim 2: Characterize the roles of age and driving experience in driving attention under varying levels of distraction. Aim 3: Examine the roles of underlying cognitive mechanisms (general attention, speed of processing, executive function) in driving attention development as a function of age and driving experience. Aim 4: Investigate how driving-specific attention development impacts driving outcomes. MVCs are burdensome and costly to society. With inattention as the primary contributor to MVCs, it is critical to gain a clearer understanding how driving attention develops during the riskiest developmental period for drivers: adolescence (ages 16 to 18). The findings of the proposed study have the potential to reduce MVCs by (a) shaping policy regarding optimal age and experience for licensure and limitations imposed on young drivers and (b) providing targets for interventions to improve public health.