A new study from the University of Washington, conducted in collaboration with the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), has highlighted the dangers of touchscreens in modern cars.
Infotainment screens have become almost indispensable in modern cars. In recent years, few cars leave the factories without a multimedia system located in the middle of the dashboard.
But while they have introduced more conveniences for drivers, such as the integration of navigation and media apps, the new research highlights that they can pose significant risks to driver safety.
For the study, the researchers placed 16 participants in a simulator. They had to tap targets on a 12-inch touchscreen, similar to those used in today’s cars, while performing memory tests that simulate the cognitive load of real traffic.
Using sensors to track eye and hand movements as well as physiological signals associated with mental effort, the researchers found that the lateral deviation in the lane increased by 42% while the participants were using the screen.
At the same time, the accuracy and speed of touches decreased by 58% during driving and became even worse as the mental load increased. Performance was also not improved by larger buttons.
According to the researchers, many drivers reach for the screen before they even look at it. Therefore, the ideal solution would be for automakers to focus on implementing simple eye-tracking sensors to measure driver attention in future models.
In this way, the user interface could adapt in real time by highlighting important controls and reducing distractions, which in turn would increase the safety of using touchscreens while driving.
Photo: Unsplash. This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editors.
