STC Research Project Description

Project Title: Can You Hear It Now?: A Study of Personal Listening Devices and Pedestrian Safety Principal Investigator: Maranda McBride University: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Telephone: 336-285-3359 Email Address: mcbride@ncat.edu External Project Contact (if applicable): Address Street: City: State: Zip: Telephone: Email Address: Project Start Date: 04/01/2017 End Date: 07/01/2018 Other Milestones, Dates: 06/30/17: Finalize experimental design 09/30/17: Obtain IRB approval 12/31/17: Complete data collection 03/31/18: Finalize data analysis 06/30/18: Submit final report Project #: Project Objective: The objectives of this study are to: a) evaluate the extent to which pedestrians use auditory stimuli to cross streets and b) determine whether a non-occlusive bone conduction headset can improve pedestrian safety by increasing the perception of auditory feedback from oncoming vehicles. Project Abstract: In this study, we will investigate the impact of using bone conduction headsets in lieu of earbuds on pedestrian safety. The three aims of this study are to evaluate street crossing behavior 1) in the absence of auditory distractions, 2) when earbuds are worn while listening to music at two different sound levels, and 3) when a bone conduction headset is worn while listening to music. Fifty participants ages 18 to 25 will be recruited for the study. Each participant will cross a simulated virtual street 10 times for each experimental condition using a virtual reality viewer such as Google Cardboard. The following data will be collected and analyzed: number of unsafe crossings, delays entering gaps, and missed crossing opportunities. Task Description: The primary tasks associated with this project include literature review, experimental design, participant recruitment, data collection and analysis, and dissemination of results. Total Budget: $ 100,205 Student Involvement (Thesis, Assistantships, Paid Employment): Thesis, Research Assistantship, Paid employment Relationship to Other Projects: N/A Technology Transfer Activities: Results of the research will be disseminated via conference Potential Benefits of Project: Results of this study are expected to contribute to the pedestrian safety body of knowledge by determining whether bone conduction headsets improve the ability to detect critical traffic cues. TRB Keywords: Pedestrian safety, bone conduction, portable music players, distracted walking, auditory perception

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Can You Hear It Now?: A Study of Personal Listening Devices and Pedestrian Safety

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Any observer tracking the movement of students between classes on a college campus will undoubtedly notice the prevalence of headphones or earbuds being used with a cell phone or digital media device. A large number of students use personal listening devices to listen to music or callers as they walk to and from classes. The same is true for many pedestrians outside of college campuses, regardless of whether they are walking for leisure or work. In fact, recent work conducted by our team on two urban college campuses, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Old Dominion University, suggests about 18% of pedestrians were walking across busy streets while distracted by stimuli through headphones or earbuds (Schwebel, 2016).

A recent Stateline news report revealed that pedestrian injuries due to cell phone use increased 35% from 2010 to 2014 based on federal emergency room data (Henderson, 2014). This can likely be attributed at least partially to the rise in electronic device use while walking. According to research conducted by Lichenstein et al. (2011), the number of reported cases of pedestrian/vehicle crashes in the United States in which the pedestrian involved was believed to be wearing headphones to listen to a digital media device at the time of the crash nearly tripled from 2004 to 2011. Fifty-five percent of the 116 victims identified in their study were hit by a train and 70% of the collisions were fatal. In 34 of those cases, witnesses report that an alarm, such as a person yelling, horn, or siren, was sounded just before the collision occurred. Whether or not the pedestrian heard the alarm is unknown in most of the cases; however, it is reasonable to assume that in some of the cases the alarm may not have been detected because the headphones masked the environmental noises that would have otherwise been heard by the pedestrian.

The rise in the number of injuries caused by pedestrian use of cell phones has even led to the inclusion of “distracted walking” in the National Safety Council’s annual report of unintentional deaths and injuries. According to a report found on Breitbart.com, 54% of adult cell phone users have run into an object or person due to cell phone distraction (Church, 2014). Even Secretary Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, has acknowledged the dangers associated with distracted walking by awarding grants to cities interested in developing safety programs to curtail hazardous distracted walking behavior (Henderson, 2014).

Over the years, there has been quite a bit of attention devoted to driver distraction (McEvoy et al. 2005; Drews et al., 2009; Hosking et al., 2009, Collet et al., 2010a, 2010b), but the safety implications associated with the use of cell phones and other digital media devices by pedestrians has received much less consideration. In one available study conducted by our team (Stavrinos et al., 2009) we found that children talking on a cell phone while engaged in a simulated virtual reality street crossing task were less attentive to traffic, took more time to make a decision to cross the street, and experienced more close calls and collisions with traffic. In another study by our team, Schwebel et al. (2012) discovered similar effects in their evaluation of adult pedestrians distracted by a cell phone. In that study, we investigated the

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impact of not only talking on the phone but also texting and listening to music during a simulated street crossing task, and found that participants listening to music or texting were hit by a vehicle more often in the virtual testing environment than those who were not distracted by the use of a cell phone. Distracted attention and reduced situation awareness in pedestrians using mobile phones has been documented by other research teams as well (e.g., Hatfield & Murphy, 2007; Hyman et al., 2010; Nasar et al., 2008, Stavrinos et al., 2011).

In summary, available evidence suggests use of electronic devices while walking can be hazardous. Much of the research associated with the use of cell phones and other digital media devices while walking focus on the impact of cognitive and visual distraction. The extent to which auditory stimuli influence pedestrian safety is poorly understood. In fact, research focused specifically on auditory distraction by pedestrians is unavailable in the published literature. We might assume that wearing earbuds or headphones to listen to cell phone conversations or digital media will mask some ambient noise in the surrounding environment, but it is unclear exactly how that masking may or may not influence pedestrian safety because the pedestrian fails to perceive important auditory signals that would otherwise alert them of a potential hazard.

The research that does exist suggests pedestrians may use auditory feedback from oncoming vehicles quite extensively to determine when it is safe to cross the street (Schwebel et al., 2012; Schwebel, 2013). Specifically, pedestrians use their localization skills to determine from which direction a car is approaching (Barton et al., 2013). In addition, changes in sound along the road enable pedestrians to determine the level of risk (Bach et al., 2009). Some of the measures that have been evaluated using auditory stimuli include the distance at which a vehicle was detected, the direction from which a vehicle is approaching, and the vehicle’s time of arrival at the pedestrian’s location. Auditory cues are especially relied upon in situations when visual cues are not available, such as when an object obstructs the view of oncoming traffic or locations such as the crest of hills and areas where the road curves sharply (Ampofo-Boateng & Thompston, 1989; Roberts et al., 1995; Barton et al., 2012). Previous studies have even uncovered age-related differences in pedestrians’ ability to detect and localize oncoming vehicles based on these measures. For instance, Barton et al. (2013) found that children age 6 to 9 years old had significantly smaller detection distances than adults age 18 to 40 years old. Adults in their study were also better at correctly identifying the direction of approach than children. In addition, older children (age 8 and 9) correctly identified the direction of approach more often and identified the time of arrival more accurately than younger children (age 6 and 7).

It can be assumed that wearing earbuds or headphones to listen to cell phone conversations or digital media will likely mask some of the ambient noise in the surrounding environment. As a result, pedestrians may not perceive important auditory signals that would otherwise alert them of a potential hazard, such as an oncoming vehicle. An ideal solution may be to restrict use of earbuds/headphones by pedestrians walking near traffic. Although this may appeal to scholars, such an objective may be unrealistic, even with legislative policy changes.

Bone conduction headsets offer a viable alternative to traditional headsets and may alleviate some of the problems associated with pedestrian use of earbuds/headphones. Instead of covering the ears completely or in part, bone conduction headsets transmit auditory stimuli, such as music and speech, to listeners without covering the ear canal, thus increasing

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the ability to perceive ambient noise. These devices use mild vibration to stimulate the bones of the skull, including the middle and inner ear structures that transmit auditory signals to the brain. These vibrations are not felt at normal listening levels nor are they hazardous to the listener. Our previous research has shown that bone conducted signals can even be heard clearly within an environment of low to moderate background noise (McBride et al, 2008; McBride et al., 2015), such as those present in a typical pedestrian environment. Given this alternative, the present study is designed to determine whether the use of a bone conduction headset in lieu of traditional personal listening devices such as earbuds or headphones will increase pedestrian safety. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of this study is twofold: (a) evaluate the extent to which pedestrians use auditory stimuli to cross streets and (b) determine whether a non-occlusive bone conduction headset design improves pedestrian safety by increasing the perception of auditory feedback from oncoming vehicles. The proposed work has three specific aims:

1. Evaluate street crossing behavior when no auditory distractions are present 2. Evaluate street crossing behavior when earbuds are worn while listening to music at

two different sound levels 3. Evaluate street crossing behavior when a bone conduction headset is worn to listen to

music RESEARCH APPROACH

Fifty participants ages 18-25 in the Greensboro, NC area will be recruited for the study. We anticipate the sample will be 50% male and 50% female, and of diverse racial/ethnic/cultural backgrounds. All participants must be able to speak and read English and have no significant vision or hearing impairment.

In a randomized order, participants will cross a simulated virtual street 10 times each using virtual reality viewer such as Google Cardboard (Figure 1) under four conditions: (a) no auditory distraction, (b) while listening to music through earbuds at approximately 65 dBA (enough to partially block ambient and Doppler-based vehicle noise), (c) while listening to music through earbuds at approximately 75 dBA (enough to fully block ambient and vehicle noise), and (d) while listening to music through a bone conduction headset (Figure 2) at approximately 75 dBA.

Figure 1: Google Cardboard

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Figure 2: Bone conduction headset

The virtual street crossing environment will be projected to participants by an Android

or IOS smartphone inserted into the Google Cardboard viewer. The foundation of the system used to develop the virtual street crossing simulation incorporates a software library based on the Unity game engine by Unity Technologies used to deliver the real-time virtual environment. The system also incorporates the game play logic and data collection mechanism. The system depicts an actual street crossing in a suburban community. The system also emits ambient background and Doppler-accurate traffic noise. Google Cardboard has an interactive click button that can be used to transmit commands to compatible phones. Initial work demonstrates the system’s feasibility, usability, and efficacy; it also indicates low levels of simulator sickness during use (Schwebel, He, & Severson, 2016).

Prior to initiating the experimental tasks, each participant will be required to provide informed consent. Demographic and experiential information will be gathered through a survey. Once all of paperwork is complete, participants will be screened for normal hearing. The volume of the earbuds and bone conduction headsets will be set to the appropriate sound level prior to the arrival of the participant. Order of trial conditions will be randomized and participants who are about to take part in one of the distracted trials will be instructed to insert the earbuds or put on the bone conduction headset. They will then be asked to play a prerecorded stream of music. Participants will have the option to choose from five genres of music (pop, hip hop, R&B, classical, and country) based on their personal preferences.

The within-subject experiment will require all participants to experience each of the four experimental conditions. When participants are ready to begin the street crossing task, they will look through the Cardboard viewer at simulated traffic moving along a two-lane bidirectional street. They can view the traffic coming from either direction by moving their head left and right. Traffic speed and density will be programmed by the researchers at 30 mph and 10 vehicles per minute per lane on average, representing actual traffic in a moderately busy community. When they judge it to be safe, participants will press a button on the VR viewer to indicate they are ready to cross the street. The button press triggers the system to initiate movement of the pedestrian in the virtual environment and the participant will be able to view the scene in first person as though s/he is walking across the street. The screen will freeze in case of a collision, and feedback concerning the safety of the crossing will be provided for all crossings.

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We will evaluate pedestrian safety using standard outcome measures including the number of unsafe crossings, delays entering gaps, and missed opportunities. Unsafe crossings are defined as crossing during which a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle, or was within one second of being struck, while crossing the virtual street. This will be computed as the percentage of unsafe crossings per condition. Start delays are defined as the time (in seconds) between the appearance of the traffic gap the pedestrian chose to cross within and the pedestrian stepping into the street to cross. This measure will also be computed as an average across each condition. Missed opportunities to cross refer to those instances when there was a safe traffic gap to cross within yet the pedestrian chose not to cross within that gap. Since there can be multiple missed opportunities per trial, this measure will be computed as a count across all conditions.

Parametric and nonparametric statistical methods will be used to analyze the data as appropriate. These may include ANOVA, MANOVA, t-tests, regression, Kruskal-Wallis H test, or Mann-Whitney U test. RESEARCH DURATION AND COST

The proposed study is expected to take approximately 15 months to complete. The total cost of the research is $100,201 of which $50,205 will be matching funds. The NCA&T match will be used to provide the PI with release time which will enable her to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the completion of the proposed project. Figure 3 is a summary of the project schedule/timeline.

Figure 3: Project Estimated Timeline

QUALIFICATIONS OF RESEARCH TEAM

Dr. McBride will lead this research effort on N.C. A&T’s campus. Her expertise as it relates to the project revolves around the use of bone conduction communication devices. She has performed multiple studies on auditory perception with bone conduction devices in collaboration with the Army Research Lab and has published several papers related to bone conduction communication devices (e.g., McBride et al., 2015; Blue et al., 2013; Hodges & McBride, 2012; McBride et al., 2008a; McBride et al., 2008b). Dr. McBride will be responsible

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for overall project management and budget management. She has successfully served as PI and budget manager for several funded projects including one STI O/E Grant. Dr. McBride will generate and review quarterly budget reports, and spending will be closely monitored to ensure that the funds are utilized in the manner outlined in the proposal. Reports will be prepared for and delivered to STC as requested in order to assess the progress of the project. In addition to managing the budget, Dr. McBride will assist with experimental design, data collection, data analysis, and report preparation. She has over 20 years of experience conducting laboratory-based studies utilizing human participants.

Dr. Schwebel offers substantial expertise to this project in the form of pedestrian safety, distracted pedestrian behavior, and laboratory-based studies of pedestrian behavior. A clinical psychologist by training, Dr. Schwebel is internationally known in the domains of pedestrian safety, distracted pedestrian behavior, and using virtual reality to study pedestrian behavior. He has published over 180 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including research on using virtual reality to study risk for pedestrian injuries, as a means to train children in pedestrian safety, and to study distracted pedestrian behavior. Dr. Schwebel will serve as a consultant on this project by providing training for the simulation software, assisting with the experimental design and development of assessment measures, providing assistance with data analysis and interpretation, and contributing to dissemination of results and preparation of the final report.

Dr. Stavrinos has been conducting research that has identified risk factors for transportation-related injuries in both the pedestrian and roadway environments for the past decade. She currently serves as Director of the Translational Research for Injury Prevention (TRIP) Laboratory (www.triplaboratory.com) which is part of the UAB Department of Psychology and seeks to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates related to unintentional injury in the Southeastern United States. Dr. Stavrinos has extensive experience in behavioral research involving attention, distractibility, pedestrian and driving simulation, and the analysis of transportation-related outcomes in samples across the lifespan, particularly adolescents and young adults. She has served as Principal Investigator (PI) for several UTC-funded studies investigating transportation issues involving child pedestrians, vulnerable at-risk populations (such as individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), teen drivers, older drivers and commercial truck drivers. Dr. Stavrinos will serve as a consultant for the proposed work, assisting with the final experimental design and development of assessment measures, data analysis and interpretation, and dissemination of results and preparation of the final report. STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

Using funds provided by this grant, students at N.C. A&T State University will engage in various stages of the research project and contribute to research publications. Dr. McBride has been successful in engaging underrepresented undergraduate students in such projects with tremendous results. For example, one of the students Dr. McBride began mentoring as an undergraduate student had the opportunity to conduct experiments using human subjects, presented at two student research conferences, and wrote a conference paper on his findings as an undergraduate. As a result of these experiences, he chose to pursue a doctoral degree at North Carolina A&T State University and is expected to complete his Ph.D. in 2017.

Dr. Schwebel has mentored over 125 students in the UAB Youth Safety Lab over the past 16 years, about 20% of whom were of underrepresented minority background. He has had

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exceptional success in guiding students to the next stages of their career; among the successes are four undergraduates accepted to medical school (two of underrepresented minority status) and 20 undergraduates admitted to PhD programs in psychology and related fields (6 of underrepresented minority status). Dozens of other students have graduated to Master’s programs, and his doctoral students have all initiated successful careers, many of them in research positions.

Dr. Stavrinos has mentored over 100 students in transportation at various levels in their academic careers and from various disciplines (though primarily psychology). Dr. Stavrinos has a longstanding commitment to promoting diversity in the scientific workforce. Of her past research assistants, 69% have been women and 43% have been of minority background. Her first graduate student (a Hispanic female, first-generation college student) recently accepted a tenure-track faculty position at St. Louis University. Of the 40 posters first authored or co-authored by undergraduate students, 93% were by women, and 65% were by members of racial/ethnic minority groups. Furthermore, 76% of undergraduates trained in the TRIP Lab have gone to science-based graduate or professional programs, and 100% of high school students are currently working towards science-based undergraduate degrees.

The PIs intend to continue their practices by engaging undergraduate as well as graduate students in the proposed research activities. Students engaged in this research will be required to participate in the data analysis and interpretation phases of the research. They will also be required to write portions of the papers that will be submitted to various conferences and journals and to present the results of the research in forums both on- and off-campus. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER To disseminate the results, the researchers will author practical manuscripts and scholarly papers to be presented at national conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. Students will also be expected to present at conferences. In addition, a 2-page research brief will be shared with relevant organizations such as the Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS) and distraction.gov, and a press release announcing the published results of the research will be issued. If awarded, the funds obtained from this grant will be used to establish a foundation that justifies the need for additional research. Future studies will be proposed internally as well as to private, public and government (e.g., National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Transportation) organizations as a means of building a larger research program designed to address transportation safety issues.

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REFERENCES • Ampofo-Boateng, K., & Thomson, J. A. (1990). Child pedestrian accidents: a case for

preventive medicine. Health Education Research, 5(2), 265-274. • Bach, D. R., Neuhoff, J. G., Perrig, W., & Seifritz, E. (2009). Looming sounds as warning

signals: The function of motion cues. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 74(1), 28-33.

• Barton, B. K., Lew, R., Kovesdi, C., Cottrell, N. D., & Ulrich, T. (2013). Developmental differences in auditory detection and localization of approaching vehicles. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 53, 1-8.

• Barton, B. K., Ulrich, T. A., & Lew, R. (2012). Auditory detection and localization of approaching vehicles. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 49, 347-353.

• Blue, M., McBride, M., Weatherless, R., & Letowski, T. (2013). Impact of a bone conduction communication channel on multi-channel communication system effectiveness. Human Factors, 55(2), 346-355.

• Church, N. (2014, Dec. 31). Danger of ‘distracted walking’ while using cell phones on the rise. Breitbart. URL: http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2015/12/31/danger-of-distracted-walking-while-using-cell-phones-on-the-rise/ (accessed 10/9/2016).

• Collet, C., Guillot, A., & Petit, C. (2010a). Phoning while driving: a review of epidemiological, psychological, behavioural and physiological studies. Ergonomics, 53(5), 589-601.

• Collet, C., Guillot, A., & Petit, C. (2010b). Phoning while driving II: a review of driving conditions influence. Ergonomics, 53(5), 602-616.

• Drews, F. A., Yazdani, H., Godfrey, C. N., Cooper, J. M., & Strayer, D. L. (2009). Text messaging during simulated driving. Human Factors, 51(5), 762-770.

• Hatfield, J., & Murphy, S. (2007). The effects of mobile phone use on pedestrian crossing behaviour at signalised and unsignalised intersections. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 39(1), 197-205.

• Henderson, T. (2014). Too many pedestrians injured by looking at their phones. Stateline URL: http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/too-many-pedestrians-injured-by-looking-at-their-phones.html (accessed 10/9/2016).

• Hodges, M.L. & McBride, M.E. (2012). Gender differences in bone conduction auditory signal processing: Communication equipment design implications. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 42(1), 49-55.

• Hosking, S. G., Young, K. L., & Regan, M. A. (2009). The effects of text messaging on young drivers. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 51(4), 582-592.

• Hyman, I. E., Boss, S. M., Wise, B. M., McKenzie, K. E., & Caggiano, J. M. (2010). Did you see the unicycling clown? Inattentional blindness while walking and talking on a cell phone. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24(5), 597-607.

• Lichenstein, R., Smith, D. C., Ambrose, J. L., & Moody, L. A. (2012). Headphone use and pedestrian injury and death in the United States: 2004–2011. Injury prevention, injuryprev-2011.

• London, C., Nguyen, C., & Rascon, M. (2014, Jan 29). Teen distracted by cell phone hit, killed by truck. NBC San Diego News. URL:

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http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Pedestrian-Struck-Killed-in-Otay-Mesa-242678631.html (accessed 10/09/2016).

• Tran, P., Pollard, K.A., Letowski, T., and McMillan, G. (2015). Effects of bone vibrator position on auditory spatial perception tasks. Human Factors, 57(8), 1443-1458.

• McBride, M., Hodges, M., and French, J. (2008). Speech intelligibility differences of male and female vocal signals transmitted through bone conduction in background noise: Implications for voice communication headset design. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 38(11-12), 1038-1044. doi: 10.1016/j.ergon.2008.03.006

• McBride, M., Letowski, T., and Tran, P. (2008). Bone conduction reception: Head sensitivity mapping. Ergonomics, 51(5), 702-718.

• McEvoy, S. P., Stevenson, M. R., McCartt, A. T., Woodward, M., Haworth, C., Palamara, P., & Cercarelli, R. (2005). Role of mobile phones in motor vehicle crashes resulting in hospital attendance: a case-crossover study. bmj, 331(7514), 428.

• Nasar, J., Hecht, P., & Wener, R. (2008). Mobile telephones, distracted attention, and pedestrian safety. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 40(1), 69-75.

• Roberts, I., Norton, R., Jackson, R., Dunn, R., & Hassall, I. (1995). Effect of environmental factors on risk of injury of child pedestrians by motor vehicles: a case-control study. Bmj, 310(6972), 91-94.

• Schwebel, D. C. (2013). Do our ears help us cross streets safely? [Letter to the editor]. Injury Prevention, 19, 75-76. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2012-040682

• Schwebel, D. C. (2016, September). The distracted pedestrian: Using virtual reality to reduce walking while texting. Invited lecture presented at the 4th Annual Virginia Distracted Driving Summit, Newport News, VA.

• Schwebel, D. C., He, Y., & Severson, J. (2016). Using smartphone technology to deliver a virtual pedestrian environment: Usability and validation. Manuscript under review (revise and resubmit status).

• Schwebel, D. C., Stavrinos, D., Byington, K. W., Davis, T., O’Neal, E. E., & De Jong, D. (2012). Distraction and pedestrian safety: how talking on the phone, texting, and listening to music impact crossing the street. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 45, 266-271.

• Shaver, K. (2014, Sep 20). Safety experts to pedestrians, put the smartphones down and pay attention. The Washington Post. URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/safety-experts-to-pedestrians-put-the-smartphones-down-and-pay-attention/2014/09/19/278352d0-3f3a-11e4-9587-5dafd96295f0_story.html (accessed 10/9/2016).

• Stavrinos, D., Byington, K. W., & Schwebel, D. C. (2011). Distracted walking: cell phones increase injury risk for college pedestrians. Journal of safety research, 42(2), 101-107.

• Walker, E. J., Lanthier, S. N., Risko, E. F., & Kingstone, A. (2012). The effects of personal music devices on pedestrian behaviour. Safety Science, 50, 123-128.

• Weis, J. (2015, Jul 25). Woman on cell phone fatally struck while crossing the street. 5NBCDFW.com. URL: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Cell-Phone-Use-Leads-to-Fatal-Crash--318531161.html (accessed 10/09/2016).

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Maranda E. McBride, Ph.D., CPIM Associate Professor of Management Telephone: (336) 285-3359 North Carolina A&T State University Fax: (336) 256-2645 1601 E. Market Street Email: mcbride@ncat.edu Greensboro, NC 27411

Professional Preparation N.C. A&T State University, Greensboro, N.C. Industrial Engineering B.S.I.E., 1996. N.C. A&T State University, Greensboro, N.C. Industrial Engineering M.S.I.E., 1998. N.C. A&T State University, Greensboro, N.C. Industrial Engineering Ph.D., 2003. Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, N.C. Business Administration MBA, 2011.

Appointments

1. Director, Transportation Institute North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC (August 2015 – present).

2. Associate Professor, Department of Management North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC (August 2009 – present).

3. Director, Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL (November 2007 – July 2009).

4. Assistant Professor, Department of Human Factors and Systems Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL (August 2005 – May 2009).

5. Faculty Researcher, Auditory Research Group Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen, MD (June - August 2004; 2007; 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014).

6. Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC (January 2004 – July 2005).

7. Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC (August 2003 - December 2003).

8. Research Assistant, Visual Research Group Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen, MD (June 1996 - August 1996).

Select Journal Publications

1. McBride, M., Tran, P., Pollard, K.A., Letowski, T., and McMillan, G. (2015). Effects of bone vibrator position on auditory spatial perception tasks. Human Factors, 57(8), 1443-1458.

2. Blue, M., McBride, M., Weatherless, R., and Letowski, T. (2013). Impact of a bone conduction communication channel on multi-channel communication system effectiveness. Human Factors, 55(2), 346-355.

3. Tran, P., Letowski, T. and McBride, M. (2013). The effect of bone conduction microphone placement on intensity and spectrum of transmitted speech items. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 133(6), 3900-3908.

4. Hodges, M.L. and McBride, M.E. (2012). Gender differences in bone conduction auditory signal processing: Communication equipment design implications. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 42(1), 49-55.

5. Blue-Terry, M., McBride, M., and Letowski, T. (2012). Effects of speech intensity on the Callsign Acquisition Test (CAT) and Modified Rhyme Test (MRT) presented in noise. Archives of Acoustics, 37(2), 199-203.

6. McBride, M., Tran, P., Letowski, T., and Patrick, R. (2011). The effect of bone conduction microphone locations on speech intelligibility and sound quality, Applied Ergonomics, 42(3), 495-502.

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Maranda E. McBride, Ph.D., CPIM

7. McBride, M., Hodges, M., and French, J. (2008). Speech intelligibility differences of male and female vocal signals transmitted through bone conduction in background noise: Implications for voice communication headset design. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 38(11-12), 1038-1044.

8. McBride, M., Letowski, T., and Tran, P. (2008). Bone conduction reception: Head sensitivity mapping. Ergonomics, 51(5), 702-718.

9. Osafo-Yeboah, B., Jiang, X., McBride, M., Mountjoy, D., and Park, E. (2009). Using the Callsign Acquisition Test (CAT) to investigate the impact of background noise, gender, and bone vibrator location on the intelligibility of bone-conducted speech. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 39(1), 246-254.

10. Gripper, M., McBride, M., Osafo-Yeboah, B., and Jiang, X. (2007). Using the Callsign Acquisition Test (CAT) to compare the speech intelligibility of air versus bone conduction. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 37(7), 631-641.

Select Grant Awards 1. “Improving Customer Service Inside LPA Offices,” Amount Awarded: $61,819 (subcontract

under NC State University); Sponsor: NC Department of Transportation; Term: August 1, 2016 – July 31, 2017; McBride, M. (PI), Holmes, J. (Co-PI), Woodham, O. (Co-PI).

2. “One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Exploring the Importance of Personality Traits, Sanctions, and Fear Appeals on Teen Driver Cell Phone Usage and Texting While Driving (TWD) Law Compliance,” Amount Awarded: $49,997 (with $53,662 NCAT match); Sponsor: Southeastern Transportation Center; Term: September 1, 2014 – September 15, 2015; McBride, M. (PI), Carter, L. (Co-PI).

3. “Early Work Readiness Skill Development Program,” Amount Awarded: $250,000; Sponsor: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA); Term: September 1, 2012 – August 31, 2015; Terry, M. (PI), McBride, M. (Co-PI).

4. “Exploring the Role of Individual Employee Characteristics and Personality on Employee Compliance with Cyber Security Policies,” Amount Awarded: $96,212 (with $51,125 NCAT match); Sponsor: Institute for Homeland Security Solutions; Term: June 1, 2011 – September 15, 2012; McBride, M. (PI), Carter, L. (Co-PI), Warkentin, M. (Subcontractor)

5. “Trust Calibration for Automated Decision Aid Research Brief Proposal,” Amount Awarded: $5,429; Sponsor: Institute for Homeland Security Solutions; Term: October 17, 2009 – May 31, 2010; McBride, M.E. (PI).

6. “Proposal for a Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach, Florida: Breaking Barriers to Reach the Stars;” Amount Awarded: $879,596; Sponsor: U.S. Department of Education; Term: October 1, 2007 – September 30, 2011; McBride, M.E. (PI).

7. “Evaluation of the Intelligibility of Speech Recorded and Transmitted via Bone Conduction Transducers,” Amount Awarded: $9,807; Sponsor: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Office of Sponsored Programs; Term: July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008; McBride, M.E. (PI).

8. “Bone Conduction Speech Intelligibility Differences between Male and Female Voices,” Amount Awarded: $10,564; Sponsor: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Office of Sponsored Programs; Term: July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007; McBride, M.E. (PI).

9. “Bone Conduction Threshold and Speech Intelligibility Studies for Use in Developing Military Radio Communication Devices;” Amount Awarded: $343,674; Sponsor: Army Research Office; Term: August 2005 – July 2008; Jiang, X. (PI), McBride, M.E. (Original PI).

10. “Auditory Equipment Grant Proposal;” Amount Awarded: $49,904; Sponsor: N.C. A&T State University Title III HBGI Program; McBride, M.E. (PI).

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DAVID C. SCHWEBEL

CURRICULUM VITAE [ABRIDGED; FULL VERSION AVAILABLE FROM: HTTP://WWW.UAB.EDU/CAS/SAFETYLAB/ABOUT-US ]

Positions 2011- Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean for Research in the Sciences 2000-2011 Assistant Professor through Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Psychology University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 1999-2000 Psychology Resident, Clinical Psychology Internship (General Child Track)

University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA

Education 2000 Ph.D., clinical psychology 1996 M.A., clinical psychology University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

1994 B.A., cum laude with distinction in the major (major: psychology, intensive track) Yale University, New Haven, CT

Selected Honors and Awards • Fulbright Award (Senior Specialists Scholar Award to China), 2011 • Fellow, American Psychological Association, elected 2009 • Routh Early Career Award, APA Division 54 (Society for Pediatric Psychology), 2006

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles [selected out of 183, including 162 in past 10 years] House, T., Schwebel, D. C., Mullins, S. H., Sutton, A. J., Swearingen, C. J., Bai, S., & Aitken, M. E. (in press). Video

simulation changes parent perception of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety for children. Injury Prevention. Ning, P., Schwebel, D. C., Huang, H., Cheng, X., Cheng, P., Li, L., Wu, Y., & Hu, G. (in press). Global progress in road

injury mortality since 2010. PLOS One. Schwebel, D. C., Johnston, A., & Rouse, J. (in press). Teaching infant car seat installation via interactive visual presence:

An experimental trial. Traffic Injury Prevention. Schwebel, D. C., Severson, J., He, Y., & McClure, L. A. (in press). Virtual reality by mobile smartphone: Improving child

pedestrian safety. Injury Prevention. Schwebel, D. C., Shen, J., & McClure, L. A. (in press). How do children learn to cross the street? The process of

pedestrian safety training. Traffic Injury Prevention. Boppana, S., Shen, J., & Schwebel, D. C. (2016). Transportation-related safety behaviors in top-grossing children’s

movies from 2008-2013. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 37, 306-313. Huang, H., Yin, Q., Schwebel, D. C., Li, L., & Hu, G. (2016). Examining road traffic mortality status in China: A

simulation study. PLoS ONE, 11, e0153251. O’Neal, E. E., Plumert, J. M., McClure, L. A., & Schwebel, D. C. (2016). The role of body mass index in child pedestrian

injury risk. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 90, 29-35. Schwebel, D. C., Combs, T., Rodríguez, D., Severson, J., & Sisiopiku, V. (2016). Community-based pedestrian safety

training in virtual reality: A pragmatic trial. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 86, 9-15. Avis, K. T., Gamble, K. L., & Schwebel, D. C. (2015). Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) increases pedestrian

injury risk in children. Journal of Pediatrics, 166, 109-114. Shen, J., McClure, L. A., & Schwebel, D. C. (2015). Relations between temperamental fear and risky pedestrian behavior.

Accident Analysis and Prevention, 80, 178-184. Wang, Q., Zhang, W., Yang, R, Huang, Y., Zhang, L., Ning, P., Cheng, X., Schwebel, D. C., Hu, G., & Yao, H. (2015).

Common traffic violations of bus drivers in urban China: An observational study. PLOS ONE, 10. Avis, K. T., Gamble, K. L., & Schwebel, D. C. (2014). Does excessive daytime sleepiness affect children’s pedestrian

safety? Sleep, 37, 283-287. Schwebel, D. C., Barton, B. K., Shen, J., Wells, H. L., Bogar, H., Heath, G., & McCullough, D. (2014). Systematic review

and meta-analysis of behavioral interventions to improve child pedestrian safety. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 39, 826-845.

Schwebel, D. C., & McClure, L. A. (2014). Children’s pedestrian route selection: Efficacy of a video and internet training

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protocol. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 26, 171-179. Schwebel, D. C., & McClure, L. A. (2014). Training children in pedestrian safety: Distinguishing gains in knowledge

from gains in safe behavior. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 35, 151-162. Schwebel, D. C., McClure, L. A., & Severson, J. (2014). Teaching children to cross streets safely: A randomized

controlled trial. Health Psychology, 33, 628-638. Schwebel, D. C., McClure, L. A., & Severson, J. (2014). Usability and feasibility of an internet-based virtual pedestrian

environment to teach children to cross streets safely. Virtual Reality, 18, 5-11. Byington, K. W., & Schwebel, D. C. (2013). Effects of mobile internet use on college student pedestrian injury risk.

Accident Analysis and Prevention, 51, 78-83. Davis, A. L., Avis, K. T., & Schwebel, D. C. (2013). The effects of sleep restriction on adolescents’ pedestrian safety in a

virtual environment. Journal of Adolescent Health, 53, 785-790. Swartz, L., Glang, A., Schwebel, D. C., Geiger-Wolfe, E.G., Gau, J., & Schroeder, S. (2013). Keeping baby safe: A

randomized trial of a parent training program for infant and toddler motor vehicle injury prevention. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 60, 35-41.

Stavrinos, D., Byington, K. W., & Schwebel, D. C. (2011). Distracted walking: Cell phones increase injury risk for college pedestrians. Journal of Safety Research, 42, 101-107.

Stavrinos, D., Byington, K. W., & Schwebel, D. C. (2009). The effect of cell phone distraction on pediatric pedestrian injury risk. Pediatrics, 123, e179-185.

Schwebel, D. C., Gaines, J., & Severson, J. (2008). Validation of virtual reality as a tool to understand and prevent child pedestrian injury. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 40, 1394-1400.

Barton, B. K., & Schwebel, D. C. (2007). The influences of demographics and individual differences on children’s selection of risky pedestrian routes. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 32, 343-353.

Barton, B. K., & Schwebel, D. C. (2007). The roles of age, gender, inhibitory control, and parental supervision in children’s pedestrian safety. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 32, 517-526.

Barton, B. K., Schwebel, D. C., & Morrongiello, B. A. (2007). Brief report: Increasing children’s safe pedestrian behaviors through simple skills training. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 32, 475-480.

Selected Active Extramural Grants/Fellowships Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Proposal: Distracted pedestrian behavior: Intervention to increase safety Details: Principal Investigator, R21HD078371, Funding period March, 2015-February, 2017

Agency: US Department of Transportation/STRIDE Consortium, University of Florida Proposal: Evaluating Child Restraint System (CRS) installation using interactive virtual presence Details: Principal Investigator, 2016-008; Funding period August, 2016-January, 2017

Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Proposal: Delivering virtual reality through mobile platforms: Child pedestrian safety training in China Details: Principal Investigator, R21TW010310; Funding period September, 2015-August, 2017

Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Proposal: A Website to Teach Children Safety with Dogs: Development and Evaluation Details: Principal Investigator, R21HD075960, Funding period January, 2014-December, 2016

Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Proposal: Virtual reality by mobile phone: Improving child pedestrian safety Details: Principal Investigator, R01HD088415, Funding period July, 2016-April, 2021

Completed grants as PI from US Department of Transportation/STRIDE Consortium, University of Florida (9/13-7/15); Carr & Carr Attys at Law (10/12-10/14), Vipaar (8/15-8/16), NIH R01 (3/09-1/14), Centers for Disease Control/National Center for Injury Prevention and Control SBIR Phase I (9/11-2/13), and many others

Trained over 115 trainees including mentorship of 9 PhD dissertations, 6 MA theses, 13 undergraduate theses

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Despina Stavrinos NAME: Stavrinos, Despina POSITION TITLE & INSTITUTION: Assistant Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

A. PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION INSTITUTION LOCATION MAJOR / AREA OF STUDY DEGREE

(if applicable) YEAR YYYY

University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL Psychology BS 2003 University of Alabama at

Birmingham Birmingham, AL Lifespan Developmental

Psychology MA 2006

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, AL Lifespan Developmental Psychology

PHD 2009

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, AL Transportation Science and Injury Control

Postdoctoral Fellow

2009 -2011

B. APPOINTMENTS 2014 - Assistant Professor (Tenure Track), Department of Psychology, Secondary

Appointment: Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Birmingham, AL

2012 - 2014 Assistant Professor (Non-Tenure Track), Department of Psychology, Secondary Appointment: Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Birmingham, AL

2011 - 2012 Assistant Professor (Non-Tenure Track), Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Psychology, Birmingham, AL

2009 - Director, Translational Research for Injury Prevention (TRIP) Laboratory, Birmingham, AL

C. PRODUCTS Publications Most Closely Related to the Proposed Project 1. Stavrinos D, Byington KW, Schwebel DC. Effect of cell phone distraction on pediatric pedestrian

injury risk. Pediatrics. 2009 Feb;123(2):e179-85. PubMed PMID: 19171568. 2. Stavrinos D, Schwebel DC. The role of psychology in injury prevention efforts. Inj Prev. 2009

Feb;15(1):69. PubMed PMID: 19190281. 3. Garner AA, Fine PR, Franklin CA, Sattin RW, Stavrinos D. Distracted driving among adolescents:

challenges and opportunities. Inj Prev. 2011 Aug;17(4):285. PubMed PMID: 21708811. 4. Parr MN, Ross LA, McManus B, Bishop HJ, Wittig SMO, Stavrinos D. (2016). Differential impact of

personality traits on distracted driving behaviors in teens and older adults. Accid Anal Prev. 2016; 92:107-112. PubMed PMID: 27054484.

5. Pope CN, Ross LA, Stavrinos D. Association between executive function and problematic adolescent driving. J Dev Behav Pediatr. In press.

Other Significant Publications, Whether or Not Related to the Proposed Project 1. Stavrinos D, Jones JL, Garner AA, Griffin R, Franklin CA, Ball D, Welburn SC, Ball KK, Sisiopiku

VP, Fine PR. Impact of distracted driving on safety and traffic flow. Accid Anal Prev. 2013 Dec;61:63-70. PubMed PMID: 23465745; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4435680.

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2. McManus B, Cox MK, Vance DE, Stavrinos D. Predicting Motor Vehicle Collisions in a Driving Simulator in Young Adults Using the Useful Field of View Assessment. Traffic Inj Prev. 2015 Mar 20;PubMed PMID: 25794266.

3. Decker JS, Stannard SJ, McManus B, Wittig SM, Sisiopiku VP, Stavrinos D. The impact of billboards on driver visual behavior: a systematic literature review. Traffic Inj Prev. 2015;16:234-9. PubMed PMID: 25000270; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4411179.

4. Tabibi Z, Borzabadi HH, Mashhadi A, Stavrinos D. Predicting aberrant driving behavior: The role of executive function. Transp Res Part F Traffic Psychol Behav. 2015;34:18-28. DOI:10.1016/j.trf.2015.07.015

5. Stavrinos D, Mosley PR, Wittig SM, Johnson HD, Decker JS, Sisiopiku VP, Welburn SC. Visual distraction by digital advertising billboards in drivers across the lifespan. Transp Res Part F Traffic Psychol Behav. 2016; 41:19-28. DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2016.06.001.

D. SYNERGYSTIC ACTIVITIES 1. Dr. Stavrinos conducts research through the Translational Research for Injury Prevention (TRIP)

Laboratory (www.triplaboratory.com) and has mentored 84 students from various disciplines. Dr. Stavrinos involves women and minorities in research and educational activities to increase the diversity of our nation’s workforce. Of TRIP’s past and current research assistants, 65% are women (n=55) and 45% (n=38) are of minority status. Students trained in the TRIP Lab have secured top positions in STEM-related graduate and professional programs.

2. Dr. Stavrinos has developed innovative, theory-based approaches to enhance educational activities to equip tomorrow’s STEM workforce with the knowledge and experience to address society’s challenges. The PI has taught via traditional (classroom) methods and online. She developed the first online Elementary Statistical Methods course for her department. The PI integrated research and education by assessing attitudes towards distracted driving in Driver’s Education students, and provided students with an active learning opportunity via a portable driving simulator.

3. To transform the frontiers of science, Dr. Stavrinos addresses applied injury prevention issues from a behavioral science perspective. Her work continues to advance our understanding about how development influences basic psychological processes of attention, executive function, and cognition and how they impact real-world problems. Her work with pedestrian and driving simulation has resulted in a better understanding of the underlying cognitive processes of distracted walking/driving and has led to translational efforts to reduce these dangerous behaviors.

4. To stimulate innovation and address societal needs through research and education, Dr. Stavrinos has formed partnerships with industry, federal and state government, and DOT-funded University Transportation Centers. Her research collaborations span various disciplines including Psychology, Engineering, Medicine, Public Health, Computer Science, and Nursing and include key linkages to build capacity, leverage resources, and increase the speed of translation from discovery to innovation.

5. Dr. Stavrinos has significantly served the scientific community outside of her immediate organization through: (a) Journal Reviewing for over 30 journals, (b) Grant Reviewing for national and international funding agencies, (c) Conference Abstract Reviewing for national and international scientific symposiums, and (d) Professional Memberships through Association for Psychological Science and Transportation Research Board Committee on Operator Education and Regulation and (e) Moderating for a Whitehouse Roundtable Discussion and the Alabama Distracted Driving Summit.

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Southeastern Transportation Center Proposed Budget

O/E Grant 2017-2018

Title:

Can You Hear It Now?: A Study of Personal Listening Devices and Pedestrian Safety

University:

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Federal Funds

Matching Funds

Salaries: Faculty 24,116 Administrative Staff Other Staff Graduate Student Salaries/Stipends 10,800 Undergraduate Student Salaries/Stipends Total Salaries/Stipends Benefits (including student health insurance) 5,788 Total Salaries and Benefits $10,800 $29,904 Other Direct Costs: Permanent Equipment Expendable Equipment and Supplies 1,780 Non-salary Education Costs – tuition/fees Other Costs: (specify) Contractor Services 20,500 Human Subject Payment 2,200 Communication Conference Registration / Fees Travel 4,400 Computer Costs Other miscellaneous costs: Total Other Direct Costs $28,880 $29,904 Indirect Costs at 26% $10,317 $20,300 TOTAL COSTS $49,997 $50,205

PEER REVIEW FORM

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Peer Reviewer #1 Name: Dr. Tonya Smith-Jackson Organization/University Affiliation: Industrial Engineering/ NC A&T State University Address: 1601 E. Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27411 Phone #: 336-285-3759 Fax #: 336-334-7729 Email address: tlsmithj@ncat.edu Please submit a brief overview of why this individual is qualified to review the material. Qualifications of reviewer: Dr. Smith-Jackson is currently a Professor and the Chair of the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at NCA&T. She is also a Human Factors and Ergonomic Society Fellow. Dr. Smith-Jackson earned her PhD in Psychology/Ergonomics in 1998 and has over 40 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Her research includes studies on risky behavior, cell phone use, attention, and various elements of safety. Furthermore, Dr. Smith-Jackson has served as an Associate Editor for 3 journals and Reviewer for 5 different peer-reviewed journals and 2 books.

Peer Reviewer #2

Name: Dr. Ben Barton Organization/University Affiliation: Department of Psychology & Communications Studies/

University of Idaho Address: Dept. of Psychology & Communications Studies, University of

Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3043 Phone #: 208-885-6515 Fax #: 208-885-7710 Email address: barton@uidaho.edu Please submit a brief overview of why this individual is qualified to review the material. Qualifications of reviewer: Benjamin Barton is an Associate Professor of Psychology and teaches cognitive development classes. He received his Ph.D. in Lifespan Developmental Psychology from the University of Alabama - Birmingham in 2005 and his research interests include etiology and prevention of unintentional injuries from early childhood to late adulthood. He is also interested in the processing of visual and auditory information in relation to pedestrian safety and visual search skills in children and adults.

Peer Reviewer #3

Name: Timothy Barnett Organization/University Affiliation: Alabama Department of Transportation Address: 1409 Coliseum Blvd Phone #: 334-242-6123 Fax #: Email address: barnettt@dot.state.al.us Please submit a brief overview of why this individual is qualified to review the material. Qualifications of reviewer: Tim Barnett’s career has revolved around traffic operations and traffic safety at the state and local levels. He currently serves as State Safety Operations Engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Tim maintains a professional engineer’s license in both Alabama and Mississippi, and is a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer. In addition to his duties for the rapid response and resolution of pressing highway safety concerns on the public roadway system, he is responsible for managing the implementation of the Highway Safety Manual for ALDOT. Tim is a Fellow of ITE, and a member of ASCE, ASEM, and IMSA.

*Two peer reviewers will be selected for each final report. Other appropriate reviewers may be selected at the discretion of the STC.

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