Abstract:
The aims of the research were to investigate the effect of distractors on the pedestrian skills of children
and adults. The pedestrian skill of deciding when it is safe to cross a road (decision-making skill) was
assessed by a computer-presented simulated pedestrian task. It was predicted that distractors would
reduce the performance of all age groups, with the reduction being greater for younger children. The
pedestrian skills of Grade 2, Grade 4 and Grade 6 children and adults were assessed in three
conditions, without distractors, with on-screen distractors and with off-screen distractors. The results
showed that off-road distractors, whether visual or auditory, increased the starting-delay of all age
groups. There was no significant difference between off-road-visual and off-road-auditory distractors
for any age group except for Grade 6 children. Off-road-auditory distractors increased starting-delay
more than off-road-visual distractors for Grade 6 children. Furthermore, off-road and on-road
distractors increased the number of missed opportunities for Grade 2 children. On-road distractors
increased the number of missed opportunities of Grade 4 and Grade 6 children. The increase was
greater for Grade 6 children. The number of unsafe crossings was higher in the condition without
distractors. Overall, decision-making skills were vulnerable to distractors. The degree of vulnerability
differed depending on age and the specific measures of pedestrian skill.
