The University of Rhode Island professor who shook up the cell phone industry five years ago with a study that claimed drivers with cell phones weren't as attentive to the road as those who were phone-free, is returning to his research. Manbir Sodhi is revisiting the study with more precise tools for measuring driver inattention. He wants to replicate the real driving experience as much as possible for his study, sending his drivers onto South Kingstown, Rhode Island, roads.
The vehicles will be equipped with new software that records what the driver sees, along with eye movements, and tracks the route via GPS. The technology is designed to help the researchers follow exactly where the drivers are when they react to distractions. Sodhi expects to conclude the fieldwork soon and to submit the findings to a scientific journal within a few months.
For more on Manbir Sodhi's ongoing research:
- check out this Providence Journal article