A new study from the University of Washington, carried out 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 cars. In recent years, few vehicles leave the factories without a multimedia system placed in the middle of the dashboard.
But while they have provided drivers with more conveniences, 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 touch targets on a 12-inch touch screen, similar to those used in today’s cars, while performing memory tests that simulate the cognitive load in real traffic.
Using sensors to track eye and hand movements as well as physiological signals related to mental effort, the researchers discovered that while the participants were using the screen, the lateral deviation in the lane increased by 42%.
At the same time, the precision and speed of the touches dropped by 58% during driving and became even worse when the mental load increased. Performance did not improve with larger buttons either.
According to the researchers, many drivers reach for the screen before they even look at it. Therefore, it is ideal that car manufacturers focus on implementing simple eye-tracking sensors to measure the driver’s attention in future models.
In this way, the interface can adapt in real time by highlighting important controls and reducing distractions, which in turn will increase the safety of using touchscreens while driving.
Photo: Unsplash. This content has been created with the help of KI and reviewed by the editors.
