Distracted Driving Resources
The topic of distracted driving, especially as it pertains to the use of cell phones, has recently received significant attention in the national media. The topic has also been covered in some detail in the Idaho media (see here, here, and here for examples).
Given the importance of the topic, it’s vital that people are properly informed about the potential dangers of distracted driving. But, due to the vast quantity of resources available on the topic, there being no repository or clearinghouse where they can be readily accessed, and the limited amount of time the general public has to avail themselves of this information, it unfortunately often goes undiscovered. Thus, I’ve put together the following resources in an attempt to overcome these barriers. It should be noted, that I will discuss the current findings from the scientific literature in a future post.
U.S. Department of Transportation
Distracted Driving Summit (September 30 – October 1, 2009)
Distracted Driving Summit – Day 1 Slides (18 MB, .ppt)
Distracted Driving Summit – Day 2 Slides (20 MB, .ppt)
An Examination of Driver Distraction as Recorded in NHTSA Databases (656 KB, .pdf)
Driver Distraction: A Review of the Current State-of-Knowledge – April 2008 (528 KB, .pdf)
Driver Distraction in Commercial Vehicle Operations – Technical Report (4.2 MB, .pdf)
Driver Distraction in Commercial Vehicle Operations – Tech Brief (92 KB, .pdf)
Driver Distraction in Commercial Vehicle Operations – Presentation (3.3 MB, .pdf)
National Safety Council
Distracted Driving Fact Sheet (88 KB, .pdf)
Distracted Driving Questions & Answers (88 KB, .pdf)
Cell Phone and Text Messaging Restrictions Position/Policy Statement (20 KB, .pdf)
Cell Phone & Texting Laws in the U.S.
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
The Facts about Distracted Driving – Know the Dangers/Avoid the Risks
Tips for Being a Heads Up Driver
Distractions in Everyday Driving (736 KB, .pdf)
2009 Traffic Safety Culture Index (604 KB, .pdf)
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Naturalistic Driving Study Findings Press Release (244 KB, .pdf)
University of Utah
Applied Cognition Laboratory (David Strayer, Ph.D.)
The New York Times
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Agile Software Development Meets User-Centered Design
Last night, I had the opportunity to hear Pete Gombert (CEO), Shane Vaughan (VP of Marketing), and Kevin Donaldson (VP of Product Management) of Balihoo speak at the Boise Young Professionals Lounging Series. The talk had a threefold focus: to briefly discuss the history of Balihoo; to provide some insights into their product development process; and to highlight the importance of leadership in a rapidly adapting small business.
During the product development portion, Kevin discussed how Balihoo has incorporated agile principles, not only into how they develop their technology, but also as a foundational element of how the business operates.
This discussion reminded me of several resources I’ve read regarding the “marriage” of usability / user experience / user-centered design with agile software development, some of which include:
- “Adapting Usability Investigations for Agile User-Centered Design” (.pdf)
- “Agile Development Projects and Usability”
- “An Agile Approach to User Experience and Design”
- “Can UX Be Agile”
- “Towards Extreme(ly) Usable Software: Exploring Tensions Between Usability and Agile Software Development” (.pdf)
- “Working in Harmony: Integrating the efforts of usability engineers and agile software developers” (.pdf)
- “Working in Harmony: Integrating the efforts of usability engineers and agile
software developers” – Presentation (.pdf)
While I believe there are several potential benefits to incorporating agile principles into software development, we have to remain vigilant that usability isn’t sacrificed on the alter of rapid development and deployment. Doing so decreases the user experience, which in the long run will ultimately prove detrimental to business success. As in all things, it’s a balancing act.
BTW, in case you’re new to the concept of agile software development, check out the Agile Manifesto and their 12 principles to learn more.
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Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 53rd Annual Meeting
This week (October 19th-23rd) the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), has been holding its 53rd annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas. According to Lois Smith, HFES Communications Director, there will be more than 400 presentations on a variety topics, including:
- Human Factors Issues in the Design of Super-Dense Operations Airspace
- Text Messaging During Simulated Driving
- The Notebook Computing Experience Among University Students
- An Analysis of Low-Speed Pedestrian Crashes Involving Electric-Powered and Combustion-Powered Vehicles
- Borrowing Prescription Medication: Implications for Health Care Warnings and Communications
- Effect of Overheard Conversations on Bystander Productivity
- Usage Factors Affecting Backpack Use and Pain Reports in Adolescent Students
You can see the complete technical program here. Also, the Society has uploaded one of the publications, entitled, “Password Authentication from a Human Factors Perspective: Results of a Survey among End-Users” (644 KB, .pdf).
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The Human Factors of Voting
Filed under: Boise, design, human factors, usability
Yesterday, I received my absentee ballot packet (see pictures below) for the 2009 Boise City Council in the mail.
While I appreciate having the opportunity to vote at a time of my choosing, instead of having to potentially wait in long lines on November 3rd, I always wonder whether my vote was counted or not. Now I don’t believe there’s some nefarious plot to suppress votes in Boise – or in Idaho for that matter. Instead, I know that all too often errors occur when processing ballots. This is a topic I addressed in a white paper I co-authored last year with Curt C. Braun, Ph.D. entitled, “Voting is as simple as 1, 2, 4 … The Human Factors of Voting” (200 KB, .pdf).
So tonight I’ll perform my civic duty and hope that my ballot is processed without incident.
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October is National Ergonomics Month
In 2003, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), of which I’m a full member, designated that each October would be National Ergonomics Month (NEM).
According to their website, the goal is to “Promote the science, application, and profession of Human Factors/Ergonomics through:
- Teaching
- Learning
- Networking
- Service
- Fun!”
Moreover, they have a five-fold long term vision, including:
- “Introduce ten million adults (about 3% of the US population of 281.4 million) to Human Factors/Ergonomics (HF/E) by 2010.
- Provide beneficial information on HF/E to decision making executives.
- Sensitize 1.1 million students to HF/E by 2010, so they will become more aware of HF/E concerns in their chosen profession as well as become better informed HF/E consumers.
- Increase corporate relationships with HFES.
- Promote the professional development of all student members and encourage them to take a more active role in organizations that represent their interests.”
If you’re new to the discipline of human factors & ergonomics, or just want to learn more about it, I’d suggest spending some time reviewing the NEM website.
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