Equipment Design Features (Impacts on Safety)

Papers, polls, Q&A items, and comments on this page are oriented to topics and issues associated with the impact of equipment design features on driving safety. Feel free to post comments on issues outlined below, or in response to papers, polls, and/or questions submitted to our expert panel. The emphasis is meant to be on the design features of the technological devices themselves, but comments on system-level safety (e.g., integration of devices, use of crash warnings) are welcome. A moderator has been assigned to periodically synthesize comments, keep discussions focused and moving, emphasize key points, and offer additional insights into related issues.

DISCUSSION ISSUES/TOPICS

Effective/Ineffective Designs & Countermeasures

What technologies can be employed to develop less distracting devices (e.g., voice recognition, hands free operation)?
To what extent does voice interaction (speech recognition, artificial speech) provide benefits over visual presentation? Under what conditions is voice communication distracting?
Is there less driver distraction with the use of Head Up Displays (HUDs) than with traditional displays? Can everyone use HUDs effectively?
How should information be structured, formatted, and searched? How much information is too much for drivers to handle?
What designs and features (design soluations) have worked well in this or similar applications? What problems have been observed?
What effective countermeasures can be used to combat distraction?

Research Needs

What are the important unanswered questions regarding the design of in-vehicle technologies? Is research best directed at defining good design or developing tools to evaluate individual designs?

Content Available In Each Topic Area

  Paper
  Comment
  Ask the Expert
  Poll

Effective/Ineffective Designs & Countermeasures
	17 3 7 5
Research Needs
	1 1