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In-Car Touchscreens Are Way More Distracting Than We First Thought, Says New Study
The results of a new study by the University of Washington (UW) and Toyota Research Institute have provided pretty daming evidence against the use of large, distracting touchscreens when driving a vehicle.
Rather eloquently titled "Touchscreens in Motion: Quantifying the Impact of Cognitive Load on Distracted Drivers", the study saw 16 participants placed in ultra-realistic high-fidelity driving simulators while researchers tracked eye and hand movements, pupil dilation, and skin conductivity.
Participants were asked to drive around a typical urban environment and then interact with various side-tasks presented on the touchscreen; nothing major, simply adjusting car functionality or changing the radio station.
Their ability to both drive and their accuracy when interacting with the touchscreen were measured.
According to Car Scoops, the researchers measured a mix of driver performance metrics and physiological markers, from eye movements, index finger tracking and steering consistency to reaction time and stress signals. This helped them build a better picture of stress and cognitive load on the human in the driving seat.
As you would expect, the results weren't pretty for those peddling an increased reliance on touchscreens over physical buttons. Firstly, pointing accuracy on said touchscreen and the speed of use were reduced by more than 58% when compared to non-driving conditions.
Already, this reveals that us humans struggle to physically interact with a touchscreen when busy processing what's going on out of the windscreen of a moving vehicle. This then requires the driver to apply more focus to tapping digital menu screens.
As a result, the study revealed that lane deviation increased by over 40% once touchscreen interaction was introduced. The vicious cycle then continues.
