A new study by the University of Washington in collaboration with the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has highlighted the dangers of touchscreens in modern cars.
Infotainment screens have become almost indispensable in today’s vehicles. In recent years, there are hardly any cars that roll out of the factory without a central multimedia unit placed in the middle of the dashboard.
Although many convenience features have been introduced for drivers, such as the integration of navigation and media applications, new research highlights that they can pose a serious risk to driver safety.
For the study, the researchers placed 16 participants in a simulator. Participants had to touch targets on a 12-inch touch screen — similar to those used in cars today — while performing memory tasks that simulated the cognitive load of real-world traffic.
Using sensors to track eye and hand movements, as well as physiological signals related to mental effort, the researchers found that when participants used the screen, in-lane lateral deviation increased by 42%.
Meanwhile, the accuracy and speed of touches decreased by 58% while driving and worsened further when mental load increased. Performance did not improve by increasing the size of the buttons.
According to researchers, many drivers reach for the screen before they even look at it. Therefore, it would be ideal if car manufacturers focus on introducing simple eye-tracking sensors in future models to measure the driver’s attention.
This way, the interface could adapt in real time, highlighting essential controls and reducing distractions, which in turn would increase the safety of using touchscreens while driving.
Photo: Unsplash. This content is generated using artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editors.
