The effects of taboo-related distraction on driving performance

Driver distraction is an important risk factor in motor vehicle crashes. Roadside billboards containing negative and positive emotional content have been shown to have differential effects on driving, however, little is known about the impact of taboo information. Taboo information more reliably evokes emotional arousal than other emotional information and can lead to greater attentional capture due to its inherent ‘shock value.’ We examined the potential for driver distraction from four different types of information presented on roadside billboards: highly arousing taboo words, moderately arousing positive and negative words, and non-arousing neutral words. Results showed that taboo words were associated with better lane control and memory recall compared to the other word types. Our findings suggest that taboo words captured the most attention, but also led to a more careful driving style. One possible explanation is that drivers may be narrowing their attention to the driving task when highly aroused.