This paper concerns definitions, theory, causes, effects, and prevention of driver distraction. Internal and external stimulation on driver attention are analyzed. The simulation of driving is compared with driving under real conditions. The characteristics of older, as well as younger, drivers are given. The perspectives of preventive measures are presented from a technical, cognitive, and behavioural point of view. KEY WORDS: distraction of drivers, preventive measures for accidents. At present demands on a driver's attention are growing significantly, which is what brought us to selectively process new information regarding the causes and effects of so-called driver distraction, and to provide a theoretical, or possibly a model basis, for research along with its application (Štikar, Hoskovec & Šmolíková, 2010). For a long time, attention has stood at the forefront of the characteristics of drivers' mental activity during driving (Bena, Hoskovec & Štikar, 1962 and 1968, 2 nd ed.). Traditionally when we speak about distraction, we realize that often this refers to an unsuitable distribution of attention, or attention that is unsuitably focused. From a certain point of view, distraction in traffic can be understood as drawing attention away from activities that are important for safe driving (Regan, Lee & Young, 2009). Attention can be distracted as a result of the driver's subjective condition, due to external stimuli, by other activities, such as telephoning, communication with passengers, and by thoughts that do not concern driving, as well as others. We call these secondary activities. During an analysis of 100 accidents or near-accidents in relation to secondary activities during driving, Dingus et al. (2006) determined the order in which individual activities are distracting among 241 drivers. The most distracting was found to be information from various devices and manipulation with other passengers, distraction caused by external stimuli outside of the vehicle, talking to oneself or singing, personal hygiene, daydreaming, and smoking. Attention must be related especially to perceptual processes (central and peripheral). Attention can fail during central vision, when the object can be visually perceived, but the brain is not aware of it. Attention can fail during peripheral vision due to insufficient or inflexible searching.
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