Divided Attention — RTR Exercise

Prototype Exercise — Divided Attention

Eyes Up

Onboard computers, radios, and mounted displays put critical information within reach — and pull your eyes off the road every time you use them. This exercise measures what that costs you: how much slower and less accurate your hazard detection becomes the moment your attention divides. Scenes are drawn from both day and night conditions, mixed together — the way a real shift actually runs.

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Phase 1 — Baseline

Windshield scenes flash on screen. Call out the hazard: none, left, center, or right. This is your clean, undistracted read.

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Phase 2 — Interrupt

The MDT screen flashes a number at the start of each scene, just like a real dispatch hit. You have to read it back — then still call the hazard.

How it works: A patrol-car windshield scene flashes briefly. In Phase 2, a number also flashes on the MDT screen — you'll be asked to identify it before calling the hazard. That's the real cost of a glance: it isn't just the look, it's the task attached to it. After both phases, you'll see your baseline performance next to your interrupt performance, and the exact cost in accuracy and reaction time.

What this is — and isn't: This exercise trains and measures attention allocation and hazard perception under distraction. It does not simulate vehicle handling, braking, or physical driving skill, and it complements rather than replaces EVOC or closed-course training.

Phase 1 — Baseline

Trial 1 of 12

Watch the road ahead

Phase 1 Complete

Now: Divided Attention

Same task. This time, the MDT screen will flash at the start of each scene — just like a real dispatch alert or plate hit. Keep your focus on the road and call out the hazard as fast as you can.

Exercise Complete

Divided Attention — Results

Phase 1 · Baseline

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Accuracy

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Avg Reaction Time

Phase 2 · Interrupt

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Hazard Accuracy

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Avg Reaction Time

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MDT Read-Back Accuracy

The Cost Of The Glance

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This is how much slower and less accurate your hazard detection became the moment your attention was divided.

Takeaway: Every glance at the MDT has a measurable cost. The goal isn't to never look — it's to know that cost, minimize glance time, and get your eyes back on the road faster.