#TrafficSafety

A new study provides compelling evidence that the brain can learn to ignore persistent distractions. The finding offers practical implications for Bangkok commuters, Thai students, and workers navigating dense sensory environments. Led by researchers from Leipzig University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, shows that the visual system adapts to repeated distractions by gradually filtering them out at the earliest stages of perception. This insight is relevant for Thai readers facing urban noise, visual clutter, and digital interruptions.

A new study has provided compelling evidence that the human brain can actually learn to ignore persistent distractions, promising practical insights for everyone from Bangkok commuters to Thai students easily sidetracked by environmental noise or visual clutter. Led by teams from Leipzig University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the research, published in The Journal of Neuroscience on April 17, 2025, reveals that our visual system adapts to repeated distractions by gradually filtering them out—even at the earliest stages of perception (SciTech Daily, 2025).

University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) researchers have made significant strides in understanding how stress impacts driver behavior, suggesting that managing stress is just as crucial for safe driving as avoiding drowsy or intoxicated driving. Equipped with sensors that measure heart rate and changes in skin conductivity, UMD’s study presents compelling evidence that stress and emotional upheaval can severely compromise driver decision-making. This research is highly relevant not only to American commuters but also resonates with Thai drivers navigating Bangkok’s notoriously busy and sometimes chaotic traffic.

A university study from the United States shows that stress affects how people drive, equally important as avoiding drowsy or drunk driving. Using heart-rate and skin-conductivity sensors, researchers found that emotional upheaval can impair decision-making behind the wheel. The findings resonate with Thai drivers navigating Bangkok’s busy and sometimes chaotic traffic.

In the study, participants wore sensors to track physiological stress alongside data-logging devices commonly found in cars. Drivers reported their mood before, during, and after trips, allowing researchers to pair subjective feelings with objective measures. Results indicated that higher stress levels correlated with aggressive driving patterns, such as sudden braking and rapid acceleration. A senior researcher from the university stressed the need to acknowledge how emotions influence driving and recommended calming routines before trips, especially during peak times like mid-workday commutes.