Drivers who feel drowsy could benefit from taking breaks, but the gains in driving performance appear to be temporary, according to a new study led by John Gaspar, director of human factors research.

Podcast host Peggy Smedley and Dan McGehee, director of the Driving Safety Research Institute, discuss distracted driving research, physiological changes that happen with smartphones, and the most dangerous type of distraction.

The Driving Safety Research Institute works with students from across the country, and learn about their research on assessing driver monitoring systems, understanding of advanced driver assistance systems, connected simulation, and new features to miniSim in our 2024 Year in Review.

Researchers at DSRI have combined data sets from six past studies that all looked at the use of various driver monitoring systems (DMS) to detect drowsiness, distraction, and other types of impairment.

Drowsy driving is thought to be a probable cause in almost 40% of investigated highway crashes. While our researchers found that notifications do little to change driver performance, nothing replaces quality sleep before a long drive.

One in 5 crashes in Iowa are caused by distracted driving. Our director, Dan McGehee talks on Iowa Public Radio's River to River about the hazards of distracted driving.

This Ars Technica article features commentary from University of Iowa Driving Safety Research Institute director, Daniel McGehee.

We were recently featured in an NBC National News segment about vehicle touchscreens and distracted driving. Watch and find out how distracting touchscreens and cell phones are to drivers.

Our 2022 annual report is here! We have spent the past year researching automated vehicles, traffic safety, drugged driving, and much more. Plus, read about our upcoming name change to "Driving Safety Research Institute" on page 3.

Infotainment systems are often used to provide drivers with a less distracting alternative to the smartphone. However, there are still many safety concerns in regard to these systems, and there is little research that focuses on distraction and infotainment systems directly. This WIRED article featuring Dr. Daniel McGehee takes a look at the future of infotainment systems, specifically the next generation of CarPlay.