Hi,
I am conducting a survey at based from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. It aims to determine how often and how distracting, people feel a variety of activities they undertake while driving actually are. The survey takes about ten minutes and there is a prize draw for a £50 amazon voucher as a token of thanks for participation. The survey is available here: http://is.gd/loXb
Background
Researchers have for some time been warning of the risks of interacting with distracting technologies in this vehicle. Recent work has established convincingly that 78% of all road accidents involve ‘driver inattention’ and the law has recently changed in the UK such that if you undertake an ‘avoidable distraction’ when driving, e.g., reading a text message, you could be imprisoned for up to five years.
In this context, the research community has focussed on assessment of in-vehicle devices. We have good data regarding use of mobile phones, especially since the introduction of restrictions on using your phone handsheld. However, there is no good data regarding many commonly adopted behaviours and experiences in the contemporary vehicle.
Many thanks for any contribution you feel able to make.
Best wishes and thanks,
Dr Terry C. Lansdown
http://www.sls.hw.ac.uk/lansdown
Applied Psychology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS
tel: 0131 451 8246, fax: 0131 451 3129
This post has been approved by the moderator ‘Rikki’
Hey terry, filled that in for you.
And me.
I added more distractions too like changing gear, turning heating on or off, turning lights on or off, opening windows, putting rear demister on. Not fair just to use sat nav, stereo, food and drink.
Hot female pedestrians and drivers - especially the ones in trucks, are my biggest distraction! 
I also noticed that ‘opposite ■■■’ distractions were not there …
Survey done
Hi,
Certainly, there is little doubt that some people can be particularly distracting when you catch sight of them.
Many thanks for your help.
Best wishes,
Terry
I started filling it in then wondered who you really are and what your real motives are in asking these potentially prosecutable confessions.
Do I still get the £50?
Hi,
To [hopefully] answer your questions.
"Re: Driver Distraction Survey: 10 mins - £50 Prize Draw
by berewic » Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:10 pm
I started filling it in then wondered who you really are and what your real motives are in asking these potentially prosecutable confessions.
Do I still get the £50?"
Ok, I am a UK academic with no affiliations or sponsorships by either Government bodies or in-car device manufacturers. If you would like further information about my credentials please look at my web site
http://www.sls.hw.ac.uk/lansdown or contact me via the details in my original post.
All information collected in the survey is confidential and anonymous. There is no way your responses, or anyone else’s, can be attributed to an individual. There is absolutely no possibility of any data being able to be used in a legal challenge. This is very important, to faciliate honest and frank responses.
The prize draw data is accessed separately by a link at the end of the survey, I need to know how to contact the winner, but must ensure the data is collected separately so that privacy is protected.
My motives in undertaking the survey are that we do not currently have good data about many of the distracting behaviours being undertaken and how distracting these behaviours are. If we are to design safer roads, vehicles and transport systems, it is important that we can focus the limited resources on the biggest problems. Thus survey will provide much needed data to assist in that prioritisation. I hope that answers your questions.
Thank you for taking the time to take part in the survey, if you pass on your contact details to me, I will make sure that you are entered into the prize draw.
Best wishes,
Terry Lansdown
well if you ever need real time examinations im only over the water in Fife and would be happy to take part.
I’ve done it too. 
Interesting psychological questions…
When the survey is complete, would you please come back and post a link to the results?
Many thanks
filled mine i too, some interesting questions and some with very similar answers you could give.2 pet hates of mine in the distractions,tachograph units and radios above your head with no hope of seeing them on the move.as above we would appreciate some feed back when you collate the data please.
I filled out the survey for you.
Hi,
Very happy to post a link to the results of the survey on this forum. I will be collecting data for the next 2-3 months and then analysing and reporting for a similar period. I would anticipate results being available in about six months.
Best regards,
Terry Lansdown
Done very honestly too, never entered draw as out look not installed and this is default e mail… mmm must learn how to alter this 
) as i let this lass out onto a busy road from a small junction as she’d been sitting there a while as i got closer and closer to her junction, she pulled out blew me a kiss and I stalled my truck in the proccess, forgott to change into low range for some reason as i set off… 
