Use voice control rather than touchscreens for vehicle navigation, say researchers

A person is driving a automotive alongside suburban streets when out of the blue he receives a message: “Enter an address on the screen in front of you so that you can get help to find your way.”

Ideally, he ought to have been watching the street, however now the touchscreen is stealing his consideration. His eyes transfer shortly between the display screen and the visitors. The digital glasses he’s sporting observe no matter he’s —so-called eye monitoring. Whereas the driving force is coming into the handle on a digital map, half his time is being spent trying on the display screen and his fingers.

This experiment is a part of a significant SINTEF mission trying into traffic safety.

Navigation is inflicting most concern

“Don’t mess with things like this while driving.” That is the recommendation of Senior Research Scientist Dagfinn Moe. He and his colleague, Research Scientist Isabelle Roche-Cerasi, have been discovering out precisely how a lot time and a spotlight are stolen from drivers by the touch-sensitive screens on our dashboards.

“Navigation is causing us the most concern,” says Roche-Cerasi, who has additionally been measuring how a lot time we spend altering radio channels and choosing our favourite music. Apparently, we spend the least period of time adjusting the automotive’s temperature.

“There’s a lot of variation among drivers,” says Roche-Cerasi. “There are differences between how often they feel they need to look at the screen in order to get what they want done, and also in how much time they spend watching what they’re actually doing,” she says.

Two hazardous seconds

In complete, Roche-Cerasi has noticed 44 drivers and recorded 3,000 makes use of of their touchscreens. In seventy-five p.c of circumstances, drivers have been content material to have a look at their screens for lower than half a second. Often, they’ve centered on the display screen for greater than two consecutive seconds. And we all know that simply two seconds of distraction from the visitors doubles the possibilities of an accident.

“A lot has to do with a driver’s self-regulation, as well as his understanding of the traffic situation and how the screen system works,” says Moe. “It’s all about focusing on the road, combined with an understanding of how our cars behave. When should I start telling myself to stop doing this?” he asks.

“What we’ve discovered is that you will experience problems when things start to get too much for you,” maintains Moe.

However ought to we keep away from utilizing the display screen totally whereas driving? Not essentially, in keeping with the researchers.

“We know that touchscreen systems create problems and increase risk,” says Moe.

Roche-Cerasi maintains that there are numerous elements that come into play, together with the visitors state of affairs, road conditions and velocity, the time we spend working the display screen, in addition to the driving force’s abilities and self-regulation.

Display screen use concerned in one among each three accidents

SINTEF and Nord University have been conducting experiments underneath contract from street security lobbyists Trygg Trafikk and insurers Fremtind Forsikring.

“From where we stand, it’s all about the fact that driver distraction is the cause of many accidents,” says Particular Adviser Ann-Helen Hansen at Trygg Trafikk. “Surveys show that driver inattention is a contributing factor in one in every three fatal accidents,” she says.

Hansen goes on to level out that it’s prohibited to make use of a mobile phone in a automotive as a result of it distracts the driving force.

“Modern cars are equipped with touchscreens, but there are no restrictions on the use of such screens while driving,” she says. It has been necessary to us to search out out somewhat extra about how the contact system influences a driver’s attentiveness. There may be little analysis or information at present obtainable on this discipline,” says Hansen.

Voice management really useful

Trygg Trafikk will not be arguing that there must be a whole or partial ban on using touchscreens whereas a car is in movement.

“However, the results of the project will be encouraging us to recommend voice control, and to restrict the use of screens while driving,” says Hansen.

“As a driver, you have to be very aware of your surroundings, including when using a touchscreen. If you need to activate functions while driving, you should use voice control rather than touching the screen,” she says.

Latest consumption driver teacher college students have been used to drive the vehicles and function the screens.

“But they are quite representative of most drivers,” says Moe. “This group has just started its training, and they are by no means specialists in the use of screen systems,” he emphasizes.

The scholars have been driving on roads with speed limits of between 30 and 70 km/h within the heart of Stjørdal and on roads within the Trondheim space. They’ve used twin management vehicles with a double pedal system, and with certified instructors sitting beside them, able to intervene if hazardous conditions ought to come up.

New rules within the pipeline

From 2026, the car security company Euro NCAP is issuing new rules governing its five-star security ranking system. For a car to get a five-star ranking, it needs to be outfitted such that it’s not needed to make use of a display screen for all capabilities.

“It must be possible to operate some critical functions using physical buttons and handles,” says Hansen. “The presence of a physical button means that you don’t have to shift your attention from the road ahead.”