Factors affecting drivers willingness to engage with a mobile phone while driving

This thesis investigates drivers willingness to engage with a mobile phone while driving. Many studies have looked into the effects on driving performance that can result from phone usage, but few studies have directly considered what can encourage or inhibit phone engagement behaviours in the first place. An initial exploratory study (Study 1) was conducted, for which a photo elicitation interview (N=20) was designed and implemented. This aimed to find the extent to which factors influencing phone use transferred from out of the car to the driving environment. In particular, the study aimed to explore whether the driving environment could be considered unique. The results indicated that the high demands placed on the driver by the road environment clearly distinguished it from the other environments and the reported propensity to use a phone seemed to reflect this. Only factors which either changed the level of attention required by the task, such as a change in task demand as a result of changes in the traffic environment, had any substantial influence on willingness to engage. Driving may not be unique in terms of the overall factors influencing phone use but it is unique in the extent to which this particular factor seems to have such a strong bearing on interaction. Building on findings from Study 1, that the demand and attention required seemed to influence willingness to engage, it was noted that Fuller s (2005) Task Capability Interface model would serve as a useful framework for the remainder of the thesis. This model suggests that driver behaviour is dictated by the level of task difficulty perceived; an interaction between task demand and capability. Therefore, the effects these two elements might have on willingness to engage with mobile phones while driving were tested separately in the two remaining studies. Previous research suggested that task demand should comprise a combination of roadway demand and the intended phoning task. Study 2, therefore, experimentally tested the extent to which road demand and phone function intended to be used influenced drivers decisions to engage with their phone. Participants (N=20) viewed video clips of real road environments of varying demand. Rating scales were used by participants to rate their willingness to engage with various phone functions according to the scenario they had just viewed. It was found both roadway demand and phone functionality affected willingness to engage with a mobile phone whilst driving. There was a higher propensity to engage in phone use in road environments perceived to have a lower demand and lower propensity to engage in phone use in the highest demand scenarios. Answering a call was the most likely function to be engaged with by the participants and sending a text message was the least likely. The final study investigated how capability (comprising both phone and driving capability) influenced willingness to engage. Participants (N=40) were required to drive in a simulator under two conditions, simulated low and high road demand. Their willingness to interact with their phones, when faced with a number of phone tasks, was then observed. It was found that driving capability had an effect on willingness to engage in high demand scenarios with the less capable, novice, drivers having a higher propensity to engage with placing a call, sending a text message and reading a text message than the more experienced drivers. Novice drivers were willing to engage with some functions on their phone at possibly inappropriate times. It was further found that, in the simulated low demand road environment, phone capability influenced willingness to engage, with those who were more capable at placing a call and sending a text message found to be more willing to engage with these functions. The research reported in this thesis represents the first attempt in the literature to study, in depth, the factors which can influence phone engagement behaviour while driving. Novel contributions include investigating if factors influencing phone use transferred from out of the car to the driving environment. Further novel contributions included whether the phone function and road demand interact to influence willingness to engage and whether capability can affect phone engagement behaviour while driving. Extending the model developed by Fuller, the thesis offers an original model that describes the factors affecting phone engagement behaviour while driving. Suggestions are proposed for how the findings presented in this thesis can effectively be used and how future work should build on these initial foundations

Rational prediction of pharmacological treatment options for a novel KCNH2-linked variant of the Short QT Syndrome

Congenital disorders of cardiac repolarization are associated with risk of serious arrhythmias and sudden death. The Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is well-established to predispose towards torsades de pointes [1]. The Short QT Syndrome (SQTS) is a more recently discovered condition involving abbreviated repolarization that predisposes to atrial and ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death [2]. It is characterized by short QT intervals on the electrocardiogram, frequently with tall upright T waves and by a poor rate adaptation of the QT interval: short QT intervals persist even at slow heart rates [2-4]. Due to the risk of sudden death, SQTS patients are often treated with implantable cardioverter defi brillators (ICDs). Mutations to genes that encode critical components of cardiac potassium channels have been implicated in the syndrome: KCNH2 in SQT1, KCNQ1 in SQT2 and KCNJ2 in SQT3 [2-4]. Of successfully genotyped cases, the most prevalent mutations affect KCNH2 [3]. KCNH2 (alternative nomenclature hERG: human-Etherà- go-go-Related Gene) is responsible for encoding the pore-forming protein of channels that mediate the cardiac rapid delayed rectifi er current, IKr [5]. IKr is vital for normal ventricular repolarization, evidenced by the fact that lossof- function mutations in hERG-mediated subunits underpin the LQT2 form of congenital Long QT Syndrome [1,5]. Gainof- function mutations in hERG-mediated subunits underpin variant 1 (SQT1) of the SQTS [2,3]....</p

Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNe) events

Purpose: To systematically review published literature for the research question ‘what issues are considered (and changes made) for vulnerable groups as part of the Chemical. Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or explosive (CBRNe) response for casualty collection, decontamination, triage and casualty clearing processes?’ Design: Seven-stage framework from the PRISMA statement for research question, eligibility (definition), search, identification of relevant papers from title and abstract, selection and retrieval of papers, appraisal and synthesis. Data sources: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus (Elsevier), Chemical Abstracts, Assia (Proquest), Sociological abstracts Proquest), Cinahl, HMIC, Health business elite, PsycInfo (ebsco), PILOTS (Proquest) and supplemented by other search strategies (e.g. exploding reference lists). Review methods: The included references were critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) Results: 1855 papers were returned from the literature search, of which 221 were screened by abstract and 48 by full paper. Eleven papers were included for appraisal, of which 3 achieved a quality score of 50% or over. The papers were categorised into 3 phases on CBRNe response; evacuation, triage and decontamination. Conclusions: Although very little new medium/high quality research is available, the findings are summarised as considerations for building design (route choice and information), communication (including vision, hearing and language differences) and the composition of the response team. It is suggested that evidence-based practice from other care domains could be considered (patient movement and handling) for fire service and ambulance guidelines

Factors affecting phone engagement whilst driving- are they transferable from outside the vehicle?

Mobile phone use whilst driving can be considered to have a negative impact on driving performance; yet mobile phones have become an integrated, useful and often important part of people’s everyday lives. This study therefore investigates whether phone engagement habits and behaviours transfer from outside of the car to when behind the wheel also. It uses a semi-structured interview methodology, with Thematic Analysis, to find if there is anything unique to driving which inhibits drivers from mobile phone usage or is the car considered just another environment in which to use the phone to communicate and be entertained

Drivers' willingness to engage with their mobile phone: the influence of phone function and road demand

Drivers normally elect whether or not to engage with a secondary task while driving. This study aimed to determine whether drivers’ willingness to engage with their mobile phone is affected by demands from the roadway environment and if these effects are more pronounced for some phone functions compared with others. Fifteen video clips were played to 20 participants representing different road scenarios, and therefore demands, such as driving on an empty auto route or turning right on a main arterial road. The participants then used three point Likert scales to rate their willingness to place or answer a call and send or read a text and a five point scale to rate the perceived riskiness of placing and answering a call only. Participants were also asked to think aloud when making their judgements so further insight could be gained. It was found that willingness to engage was affected by both the perceived roadway demands and the phone function under consideration. The perceived riskiness also affected willingness to engage when placing a call only. The think aloud element indicated the participants’ reasoning behind these findings as well as identifying possible future areas of research

A guide for policy makers: on reducing road fatalities

A guide for policy makers: on reducing road fatalitie

Ergonomics systems mapping for professional responder inter-operability in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear events

A European consensus was developed as a concept of operations (CONOPS) for cross-border, multi-professional chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) responses. AcciMaps were co-designed with professional responders from military, fire, ambulance, and police services in UK, Finland and Greece. Data were collected using document analysis from both open and restricted sources to extract task and operator information, and through interviews with senior staff representatives (Gold or Silver Command level). The data were represented on the Accimaps as a high level Socio-Technical Systems (STS) map of CBRN response using the themes of communication, planning, action, and reflection. Despite differences between service sectors and in terminology, a macro systems level consensus was achieved for the command structures (Gold, Silver and Bronze), and Hot Zone responders (Specialist Blue Light Responders and Blue Light Responders). The detailed tasks and technologies have been analysed using Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) to represent both complex response scenarios (macro) and detailed technologies (micro interfaces) for detection, diagnosis and decontamination. The outputs from these two systems mapping tools (Accimaps and HTAs) are being used in two field trials/exercises

Mapping Emergency Responders’ Current Procedures in the Event of a CBRNe Incident

When a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or explosive (CBRNe) event occurs a time and safety critical environment instantly exists. In order for emergency services to most efficiently complete their primary task of saving lives it is essential to have effective and well-rehearsed procedures in place. This environment requires many different services to interact with one another including: Fire, Police, Health and Military personnel. Therefore, it is important that each service understand not only their role but also that of the other emergency services (JESIP, 2013). In such a scenario every second can make a difference, with tasks such as triaging, treating and decontaminating casualties all heavily reliant on a swift response. However, this has to be balanced with offering maximal health and safety conditions for the emergency service personnel (NARU, 2015). Emergency personnel from other geographical locations may also be recruited to provide further support, so having a nationally recognised standard procedure for each emergency service is essential to allow smooth interaction between regional emergency crews (NATO, 2014). By taking a Human Factors/ Ergonomics approach to the problem it is essential to first understand what is required of each actor in the system. There are many different methods that can be used to capture a system such as that described above. One example is an Accident Map (AcciMap) (Rasmussen, 1997) - this allows for the different layers in the system to be identified, the lines and methods of communication to be shown as well as any interactions within a system to be acknowledged. With this in mind the aim of a work package within the European Commission (EC) funded TOXI-Triage project (Toxi-Triage, 2016) was to establish procedures in the event of a CBRNe incident for different emergency service providers across a number of EU countries

Integrating macro and micro hierarchical task analyses to embed new medical devices in complex systems

The introduction of new medical devices (technologies) into complex systems usually includes usability evaluation (formative and summative) using Human Factors (Engineering) methods. This paper outlines the use of Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) to not only look at usability but also consider implementation in a complex system. Firstly, the macro system is mapped as a process model for a complex field exercise (simulation) for prehospital care following a chemical incident; and secondly the individual human-medical device interface is analyzed. This allows the two outputs to be integrated by combining the macro systems modelling and micro product interactions. It provides an example of using HTA to support implementation of new devices and technologies in complex healthcare systems