The Influence of IVIS Distractions on Tactical and Control Levels of Driving Performance

Computer, software, telecommunications, and automotive companies have begun to develop In-Vehicle Information System (IVIS) functions despite the potential for these devices to distract drivers. A simulator study examined how the demands of an IVIS affected driver response in tactical and control braking conditions. The IVIS demands were manipulated according to multiple resource theory dimensions of processing code and stage. Drivers listened to and answered questions about messages containing information about restaurants. The findings show that verbal and spatial coding had little effect on driving performance, but responding to the messages degraded reaction time in the tactical braking conditions. These results suggest that particular consideration should be given to IVIS tasks that demand a response from the driver and that tactical rather than simply control driving performance merits attention in IVIS evaluation.