Using Australian Naturalistic Driving Study data to explore non-driving task engagement across young novice and experienced drivers

• Examined real-world non-driving task engagement in young vs. experienced drivers. • Analysed 84 NDS trips using GLMM to assess non-driving task engagement. • Young drivers spent over half of their driving time engaged in non-driving tasks (58.4%). • Young drivers engaged in longer non-driving tasks while the vehicle was moving compared to experienced drivers. • Focused interventions are needed to reduce distractions, particularly for young drivers, enhancing driving safety. Understanding the differences in non-driving task engagement between young and experienced drivers is crucial for developing effective policies to reduce distracted driving and distracted-related crashes. This study examined the prevalence and types of non-driving task engagement among young (17–18 years) and experienced (25–62 years) drivers across various driving contexts, including the presence of passengers, whether the vehicle was in motion, and different light and weather conditions. Data were drawn from the Young Australian Naturalistic Driving Study (YANDS) and the Australian Naturalistic Driving Study (ANDS). Forty-two trips were randomly selected from each dataset (totalling 84 trips). To ensure data quality, trips lasting less than one minute or more than one hour were excluded. Analysts manually coded 29 different types of non-driving task engagement events from video footage. Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) with a negative binomial distribution and driver-level random effects were conducted to assess the impact of driver demographics and driving context on non-driving task engagement, accounting for multiple trips by the same driver. Both young and experienced drivers frequently engaged in non-driving tasks. Experienced drivers spent 45.3 % of their driving time on non-driving tasks, initiating a task every 1.8 min. In contrast, young drivers spent 58.4 % of their driving time on non-driving tasks, initiating a task every 3.1 min. Young drivers were more likely to engage in longer-duration tasks, such as talking or singing. In contrast, experienced drivers tended to engage in shorter, discrete tasks, like interacting with the centre console or adjusting non-critical vehicle controls. Additionally, compared to young drivers, experienced drivers were more likely to initiate non-driving tasks when the vehicle was stationary. Young drivers appeared less adept, often engaging in longer tasks more frequently while the vehicle was in motion. In contrast, experienced drivers demonstrated better self-regulation, typically engaging in non-driving tasks when the vehicle was stationary. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to educate young drivers about the risks of prolonged non-driving tasks and promote safer engagement strategies, which are critical for shaping road safety policies to reduce distraction-related crashes, particularly among young drivers.