Effect of Different Distractions on Driving Performance for Drivers Using a Touch Screen

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of various task loadings on driving performance for drivers who used a touch screen. The objectives were to evaluate the influence of three secondary tasks on the primary task, to clarify the effects of the task loadings in combination on driving performance, and to determine effective measures for minimizing the effect of touch screen tasks on driving performance. To achieve these objectives, a field experiment was conducted on a test track with 16 participants. There were three secondary tasks: viewing numbers on the touch screen and reading them aloud in ascending order, viewing numbers on the touch screen and tapping them in ascending order on the touch screen, and tapping the four corners of the touch screen. Vehicle motions, the duration of the driver's glance at the screen, and the duration of the driver's tapping the screen were measured. The driving performance indicators were speed, headway distance, and lateral distance from the center of the lane. When drivers operated the touch screen while driving, each task loading was found to have a different effect on each driving performance indicator. The analysis found that measures that were effective in maintaining high driving performance decreased the individual duration of each secondary behavior and reduced the variety of task loadings and their combinations. Driving style also influenced the degree to which each task loading affected driving performance.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Wierwille

W. W.

, and Tijerina

, Modeling the Relationship Between Driver In-Vehicle Visual Demands and Accident Occurrence. Vision in Vehicles VI, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam Netherlands, 1998, pp. 233–243.

Horrey

W. J.

, and Wickens

C. D.

In-Vehicle Glance Duration: Distributions, Tails, and Model of Crash Risk. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2018, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2007, pp. 22–28.

Visual-Manual NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines for In-Vehicle Electronic Devices. Federal Register, Vol. 77, No. 37, Fri., Feb. 24, 2012, pp. 11199–11250.

Crandall

J. M.

, and Chaparro

Driver Distraction: Effects of Text Entry Methods on Driving Performance. Proc., 56th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Boston, Mass., 2012.

Ranney

T. A.

, Baldwin

G. H. S.

, Parmer

, Martin

, and Mazzae

E. N.

Distraction Effects of Manual Number and Text Entry While Driving. DOT HS 811 510. NHTSA, Washington, D.C., 2011.

Blaschke

, Breyer

, Färber

, Freyer

, and Limbacher

Driver Distraction Based Lane-Keeping Assistance, Transportation Research Part F, Vol. 12, 2009, pp. 288–299.

Wickens

C. D.

Multiple Resources and Performance Prediction. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomic Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2001, pp. 159–177.

Ranney

T. A.

, Harbluk

J. L.

, and Noy

Y. I.

Effects of Voice Technology on Test Track Driving Performance: Implications for Driver Distraction. Human Factors, Vol. 47, No. 2, 2005, pp. 439–454.

Maciej

, and Vollrath

Comparison of Manual vs. Speech-Based Interaction with In-Vehicle Information Systems. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 41, No. 5, 2009, pp. 924–930.

10.

Green

Estimating Compliance with 15 Second Rule for Driver-Interface Usability and Safety. Proc., 43rd Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Houston, Tex., 1999.

11.

Guideline for In-Vehicle Display Systems—Version 3.0. Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Tokyo, 2004.

12.

Ranney

Driver Distraction: A Review of the Current State-of-Knowledge. Report DOT HS 810 787. NHTSA, Washington, D.C., 2008.