An experimental comparison of test and symbols for in-car reconfigurable displays

As cars become more sophisticated, there is a corresponding increase in the range of information which needs to be presented to drivers. This increased information load is beyond the scope of conventional technology; space requirements on the dashboard limit the number of displays, which can be employed. The study reported in this paper is based on the premise that centralized information presentation could be employed for in-car warming systems. Forty subjects were tested on a computer-based task, in which they had to rate the urgency of displayed information. The information was presented in one of four formats: symbols only, symbols plus title, symbols plus action, or symbol, title and action. Results show that the most effective type of display for urgency rating was symbol plus action, and that symbol, title and action produced the fastest reaction times. These results are considered in terms of previous research, and implications for the design of in-car warnings are discussed.