EFFECTS OF COMPLEXITY OF IN-CAR INFORMATION ON VISUAL FIXATIONS AND DRIVING PERFORMANCE

In-car information should be easy to perceive and process, without distracting the driver from the driving task. The aim of the present study is to determine the effects of the number of pictograms displayed on the menu of the in-car screen on the visual fixations and the driving task performances taking into account the drivers aging. For this study a driving simulator was used. On the in car screen a menu of different levels of complexity were displayed. The task of each driver was to find one specific pictogram among those displayed in the menu. The performance of visual fixations, swerving and driving speed were registered. A sample of 24 drivers completed the tests. The results indicate a relation between the number of pictograms displayed and the number and duration of visual fixations, as well as the level of driving deterioration. Moreover, the duration of visual fixations and the lane deviations increase significantly with the age of drivers. This study concludes with ergonomic recommendations concerning the number of pictograms to be displayed on a many of in-car information systems.