The validity of driving simulation for assessing differences between in-vehicle informational interfaces: A...

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Transportation Engineering
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Evaluating in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) interfaces is crucial for user acceptance and safety.
• On-road studies provide realistic data but can be costly and complex.
• Driving simulators offer a controlled environment for assessing driver behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare on-road and medium-fidelity driving simulator data for validity.
• To assess the accuracy of simulator measures in reflecting real-world driver interactions with manual address entry systems.
• To determine if driving simulation can reliably evaluate the impact of IVIS design on driver behavior.

Main Methods:

• An on-road study evaluated driver interaction with keypad, touch screen, and rotational controller address entry methods in an instrumented vehicle.
• A medium-fidelity, fixed-base driving simulator was used with a separate participant group performing a similar protocol.
• Measures of visual attention, task engagement, and driving performance were collected in both environments.

Main Results:

• Visual attention and task engagement measures showed strong correlation between on-road and simulation studies.
• Driving performance measures did not significantly differentiate between the manual address entry methods at the study's demand level.
• Medium-fidelity simulation accurately mirrored key aspects of driver behavior observed in the field.

Conclusions:

• Medium-fidelity driving simulation is a valid and safe tool for evaluating driver visual attention and task engagement with IVIS.
• Simulation effectively assesses the impact of IVIS design on driver behavior related to visual attention and task engagement.
• Further research may be needed to enhance simulator sensitivity for detecting subtle differences in driving performance.