Head-Up-Displays Support Response Preparation in a Lane Change Task

In addition to visual design characteristics of head-up-displays (HUDs) in vehicles, the impact of HUDs on response preparation in driving has to be investigated. The current pilot study examined the effects of both temporal response preparation and movement planning on driving performance in a lane change task. Participants received a temporal warning stimulus within a HUD conveying full or no information about the direction of an upcoming lane change maneuver. After a variable foreperiod, they had to react as quickly as possible to the subsequent imperative stimulus, which was also shown in the HUD. The results indicated that temporal preparation was supported best at foreperiods of 600 ms and 1200 ms. Full advance information led to a reaction time advantage of approximately 70 ms. As temporal preparation and movement planning interacted, too, both mechanisms of response preparation potentially affect the same stage of the human information processing chain. Possible applications of the results are discussed.

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