News

150 participants, three days of high-quality science and a very special anniversary. The 10th International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention (DDI2026), held in Gothenburg on 20–22 October, brought together researchers, industry experts and road safety professionals from around the world. With inspiring keynotes, engaging scientific discussions, new connections and familiar faces, the conference was a celebration of both scientific progress and the international DDI community.

Hosted at Lindholmen Conference Centre, DDI2026 offered a packed program exploring the latest research and developments in driver distraction, attention, human factors, driver monitoring and automated driving. The scientific program featured keynote presentations, parallel sessions, panel discussions, poster pitches and exhibitions. The scientific standard was exceptionally high, with contributions reflecting both the maturity of the research field and the many new questions emerging as technology and mobility continue to evolve.

From distraction to the future of driver monitoring
Two outstanding keynote speakers provided important perspectives on the development of the field.

• Katja Kircher, from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), explored how we define and understand attention in traffic, introducing the Minimum Required Attention (MiRA) framework and its practical applications.

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  Adriano Palao, from Euro NCAP, looked ahead to the organisation's Driver Monitoring Framework for 2029, addressing how driver monitoring systems can become more effective, context-aware and better equipped to support traffic safety.

Together with the scientific presentations and panel discussions, the keynotes highlighted an important development: the field is moving beyond simply identifying distraction towards a deeper understanding of attention, driver behaviour and how technology can provide meaningful safety benefits.

Research highlights – an evolving field
The research presented at DDI2026 reflects a clear shift towards a more nuanced and context-aware understanding of driver attention – moving beyond where drivers look to what they actually perceive, process and respond to. Emerging themes include intelligent and adaptive driver monitoring, the challenges of maintaining attention during automated driving, and the growing role of AI and conversational interfaces in vehicles. Across the contributions, a common ambition stands out: translating scientific insights into better system design, more reliable safety assessments and ultimately safer roads.

Ten editions – and a community that keeps growing
The 10th edition was also an opportunity to celebrate how far the DDI conference series has come since its beginnings in Gothenburg in 2009. A special anniversary celebration, complete with cake, brought participants together to mark the occasion. But perhaps the most memorable feature of DDI2026 was the atmosphere throughout the event.

DDI has developed into something more than a scientific conference. It is a close-knit international community built on curiosity, collaboration, professional respect and genuine friendships. Returning participants reconnect year after year, while new researchers and organisations bring fresh perspectives and energy.

"I am incredibly happy with how DDI2026 turned out. The scientific quality has been outstanding, but what makes this conference truly special is the community. There is so much friendship, openness and willingness to share knowledge. People genuinely enjoy meeting each other, and that creates something very valuable. It has also been wonderful to see so many new faces joining us. After ten editions, the field is clearly still evolving, the questions remain highly relevant, and there is so much more for us to explore and achieve together."

— Malin Levin, Project Manager, DDI2026, SAFER Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre at Chalmers

Celebrating Gothenburg – and each other
Beyond the scientific sessions, the social program created plenty of opportunities to strengthen connections.
The Welcome Reception at the beautiful historic Börsen in central Gothenburg offered a memorable start to the conference. Special thanks go to the City of Gothenburg and Västra Götalandsregionen for their valuable collaboration and support in welcoming our international guests and showcasing Gothenburg.

Another highlight was the Conference Dinner at Lindholmen Conference Centre, sponsored by Seeing Machines, bringing participants together for a wonderful evening of good food, conversations, laughter and friendship.

The technical visit to our gold sponsor Smart Eye and the opportunity to explore World of Volvo also added valuable perspectives on innovation and road safety in the Gothenburg region.

Recognising the next generation of researchers
An important highlight was the presentation of the Best Student Contribution Award, recognising outstanding scientific work and presentation skills among student researchers.

This year's winner was Victor Meulenkamp from the University of Bern, Switzerland, for his contribution "Beyond Fixation: A Systematic Review of Peripheral Vision Use in Driving", co-authored with Katja Kircher and Christian Vater.

His research explores how drivers use peripheral vision to monitor their surroundings and identify potential hazards without looking directly at them.The award is based on scientific quality, clarity of presentation, time management and interaction with the audience. Victor received €500, an award statuette and free registration for DDI2028.

Congratulations, Victor!

Thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors!
DDI2026 would not have been possible without the generous support and engagement of our sponsors, exhibitors and collaborating organisations.

A particularly warm thank you to:

• Smart Eye – Gold Sponsor, also welcoming participants for a technical visit.
• Fraunhofer – Silver Sponsor, supporting this special anniversary edition.
• Seeing Machines – Conference Dinner Sponsor, contributing to a fantastic and memorable evening.
• Cognition – Candy Sponsor, adding a sweet touch to the conference experience.

We also extend our appreciation to our exhibitors, including Innobrain, Tobii and Ephyca, for contributing technology demonstrations, expertise and valuable discussions throughout the conference.

Your involvement strengthens the connection between scientific research and practical innovation – an essential part of the DDI community.

A tremendous team effort
DDI2026 was co-organised by SAFER Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre at Chalmers, Chalmers University of Technology, Université Gustave Eiffel in France and the University of New South Wales Sydney in Australia.

A special thank you to our Conference Co-chairs:

Jonas Bärgman, Chalmers University of Technology/SAFER; Alexandra Fort and Christophe Jallais, Université Gustave Eiffel; and Michael Regan, University of New South Wales Sydney. We also warmly thank the Scientific Committee, all presenters, session chairs, panellists, poster contributors and everyone involved in reviewing and shaping the scientific program. And, above all, thank you to all 150 participants for your enthusiasm, contributions, stimulating discussions and for making DDI2026 such a memorable gathering.

The conversation continues – see you at DDI2028!
Ten editions have shown how important it is to bring different disciplines, perspectives and organisations together to advance our understanding of driver distraction and inattention.

The challenges continue to evolve – and so does the research community working to address them.

We leave Gothenburg inspired, grateful and already looking forward to the next chapter. See you at DDI2028!

Explore the research: The proceedings from the conference is available here.

More information: https://ddi2026.org/