More
HASTE makes for less distraction
As
technology becomes more sophisticated, and we spend more
time on the road, the car is becoming a mobile office,
with everything from phones and email to traffic advice
or warnings and navigation systems.
In
the driving seat – Oliver Carsten
Known
collectively as in-vehicle information systems (IVIS),
these technologies all pose potential distractions to
the driver, and the Institute for Transport Studies is
co-ordinating a Europe-wide evaluation to assess the safety
risks involved.
Current
safety procedures for IVIS are based on a checklist which
sets out likely problems, but doesn't attempt to quantify
them. The Leeds research will allow systems to be rated
for safety, providing the basis for EU policy and standardisation,
and giving authorities a valid and reliable tool for their
safety evaluation of IVIS.
Project
director Dr Oliver Carsten said: "These types of equipment
create complex tasks, which are both mentally and visually
demanding. We need to create a benchmark, to determine
at what point the driver's attention is distracted, and
what risks that might pose in different contexts, from
motorway driving to urban areas."
The
project will last three years, and involve extensive testing
in simulators and on the road. The initial testing will
force drivers to conduct complicated tasks while driving
in a simulator, to see how the quality of driving is affected.
The second stage will use actual in-car systems, in simulators
and on the road (in controlled situations). Results will
be validated to draw up a consistent safety standard.
The
research is being funded by the European Commission, and
involves universities and industry partners from The Netherlands,
Sweden, Finland, Portugal and Canada.
