Devon and Cornwall Police Partner With Open University on Driver Attention Study

Could Your Brain Be Quietly Failing You Behind the Wheel?

You think you’re paying attention. You’re watching the road, hands on the wheel, music low. But your brain might be quietly dropping things you’d swear you saw. New research backed by Devon and Cornwall Police aims to work out exactly when that starts to happen, and why.

The force has secured funding from The Road Safety Trust for a joint project with The Open University looking at how the brain copes with the mental demands of driving. The study will examine what researchers call “cognitive workload”, essentially how much information the brain is being asked to juggle at any one moment behind the wheel.

What is cognitive overload?

Driving is rarely a simple task. Junctions, pedestrians, sat nav prompts, road signs, other vehicles, weather, passengers, all of it competes for a driver’s attention. As situations get more complex, cognitive workload rises. Push it too far and the brain hits overload, which can slow reactions and make drivers miss things they would otherwise spot.

Research has already shown that even hands-free mobile phone use can push cognitive workload into unmanageable territory. Holding a phone while driving remains a criminal offence.

What the police say

Matt Butler, Police Driver Support Team Manager, said the force is proud to be involved.

“Devon and Cornwall Police is proud to contribute to this forward-thinking research, which reinforces our commitment to continuous evidence-based improvement and safer roads for everyone,” he said.

He added that confidence in your own awareness behind the wheel can be misleading. “Even if you think you are fully aware of your surroundings and other road users, multitasking when driving can cause a driver to take longer to react or perceive fewer unexpected and peripheral events. Turning down the radio when reversing or looking for road signs is one example of reducing cognitive workload. But there are many other factors that can cause drivers to react too slowly or not at all.”

Test yourself in a minute

The Open University’s Driving Change Project has produced a short “Count the cars” animation that lets anyone try a quick task to see how their own attention holds up under pressure. It takes just over a minute. Scroll to the bottom of the page and give it a go. The outcome may surprise you.

One request from the force if you take it. Don’t post the nature of the test in the comments. No spoilers for anyone else who fancies a try.

The research is part of a wider effort to understand why drivers who genuinely believe they are paying attention can still miss what is right in front of them. The findings could shape how drivers are trained, tested and reminded about the limits of their own brains for years to come.