News

We are happy to announce the launch of this year's program for the 9th International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention! We are incredibly proud of the lineup – together, we will share and build upon the knowledge of numerous leading researchers during our three-day event in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, October 22-24. We hope this exchange of knowledge will translate into real-world practice, contributing to lives saved on our roads. 

Conference highlights:

• Over 60 presentations: Covering the latest research and developments.
• Poster session: Showcasing innovative studies and findings.
• Keynote speakers: Featuring Professor John Lee and Professor Natasha Merat.
• Engaging panel discussions: Two thought-provoking sessions.
• Conference dinner: Hosted at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, offering a unique dining experience and the chance to explore the museum's stunning exhibitions.

Welcome to explore our tentative program here!

Keynote speakers:

We are delighted to have Professor John Lee and Professor Natasha Merat as our keynote speakers.

• Professor Natasha Merat: An experimental psychologist and leader of the Human Factors and Safety Group at the University of Leeds, she will discuss measuring cognitive load during driving and its impacts on safety.
• Professor John Lee: From the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he will share his valuable insights and perspectives on industrial and systems engineering.

More details about our keynotes are available here.

Panel discussions:

We are excited about our two panel discussions, designed to offer not only knowledge for all participants. These sessions promise to be highly informative and entertaining, providing valuable insights and fostering meaningful interactions among attendees. Join us for these enriching discussions! Details about these dialogues are to be found here. 

• "Supporting Driver Attention Holistically: Perspectives from the AHEAD Consortium" hosted by Bryan Reimer, Ph.D., Research Scientist at MIT AgeLab.
• "Overcoming the Distraction Challenge through a Multidimensional Approach" hosted by Dr. David Yang, President and Executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.Pre-conference workshop:

Join us for a pre-conference workshop titled "A Systems Approach to the Management of Driver Distraction" on October 22, from 10:00-11:30 AM. Hosted by Dr. Matin Nabavi Niaki and Emeritus Professor Michael Regan from Australia, this session will tackle driver distraction from a systems perspective, engaging various stakeholders in identifying and implementing effective countermeasures. See details here.
 

Tours and Visits:

• Technical Tour to Mcity: Explore UMTRI’s world-class test facility, a hub for next-gen transportation innovation.
• Study Tour to Michigan Stadium, "The Big House": Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of one of the the largest stadium in the world.

Learn more about the tours here.

Registration:

Registration is now open! Take advantage of our early bird tickets available until August 31. Prices are as follows:

• General Attendee: Early bird $700 (until August 31), $800 (September 1 - October 8)
• Students: Early bird $350, $400 after August 31 (all students with accepted abstracts get free entrance!)

Welcome to sign up here!

Sponsorships and exhibition:

Showcase your organisation among the leading experts in distraction and inattention. We offer flexible sponsorship packages tailored to your needs and a fantastic exhibition space to display your products, books, and knowledge. Our sponsors to-date:

• Michigan Engineering: Leading the way in scientific and technological leadership for the betterment of society.
• University of Michigan Office of the President: Supporting the mission to serve Michigan and the world through excellence in education, research, and community service.

Read more about our venue and sponsors on our conference website!

About the DDI conference
The International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention is the primary international event on this topic, attracting delegates from more than 20 countries. It is designed to bring participants – from academia, industry and government – up-to-date on the developments and trends in the field of inattention and distraction in driving. The conference features keynote speakers, plenary and parallel sessions, poster exhibition and panel discussions with various experts, representing various disciplines in this line of research. Networking is also an important part of the conference, and we are looking forward to the most recent and relevant research dialogue together with experts from all around the world, with the aim to address the challenges driver distraction and inattention poses, and to save lives in traffic. All extended abstracts are peer-reviewed.

The DDI conference series is co-organised by the SAFER Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre at Chalmers in Sweden, the Université Gustave Eiffel, France, and the University of New South Wales Sydney, in Australia. The University of Michigan Transportation Institute (UMTRI) will join the organisation committee for the ninth edition of the conference. The Co-chairs of the conference are Dr Alexandra Fort, Université Gustave Eiffel, France, Dr Christophe Jallais, Université Gustave Eiffel, France, Dr Jonas Bärgman, SAFER Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre at Chalmers University and Emeritus Prof Michael Regan, University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia

We warmly welcome you to our conference and hope to see you there!