An Evaluation of Alternative Methods for Assessing Driver Workload in the Early Development of In-Vehicle Information Systems

Abstract

This study examined whether the effect of subsidiary tasks on driving performance can be predicted from stationary (static) testing. Alternative methods for assessing the performance of drivers during their use of in-vehicle information systems were examined. These methods included static testing in stationary vehicles, as well as dynamic, on-road testing. The measures that were obtained from static tests were evaluated in terms of how well they could predict measures obtained from driving performance during on-road testing (which included concurrent use of secondary information systems). The results indicated that measures obtained in static test settings were highly correlated with corresponding measures obtained from on-road performance testing. Also, the regression slopes and intercepts of on-road driving performance measures when predicting on-road lane deviations were more closely approximated under static conditions which required drivers to attend to concurrent, driving-like activities as well as secondary tasks. It is suggested that tests using multiple measures, together with a multivariate model, may hold the most promise for predicting eventual on-road driver performance in the early development of in-vehicle information systems. Although additional research and theoretical development are required, this research demonstrates that a set of relatively simple measures obtained analytically and from static testing can be used even now to help guide early system development.

Road-to-Lab: Validation of the Static Load Test for Predicting On-Road Driving Performance While Using Advanced In-Vehicle Information and Communication Devices

“…This study confirms the hypothesis by Angell et al (2002) that static tests using multiple measures, together with a multivariate model, hold the most promise for predicting eventual onroad driver performance in the early development of in-vehicle information systems.…”

“…Ten driver performance variables were measured for the static and dynamic tests (Table 1, see also Angell, et al 2002;Young & Angell, 2003). There were two trials for each task for each participant for tasks in sets 1 and 2.…”

“…Research has only recently begun to address the strength of the relationship of metrics in simulators to actual on-road driving performance (Farber, et al, 2000;McGinty, et al, 2001;Hashimoto, & Atsumi, 2001;Angell, et al, 2002;CAMP, 2005). It is also often assumed that a single static variable (e.g., time to complete a task) can adequately predict dynamic driver performance during secondary tasks (SAE, 2004).…”

“…A set of metrics was therefore developed to compare the performance of drivers in a low-fidelity driving simulator using the Static Load Test (Angell, et al, 2002), with data obtained from onroad test observations, using several prediction methods. Data was collected on the same set of tasks with different groups of drivers in three settings: (1) driving on the closed road -the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) Smart Road; (2) in a lab at the GM Milford Proving Grounds (MPG) for the Static Load Test; and (3) in a lab at VTTI for an independent Static Load Test.…”

Validation of the Static Load Test for Event Detection During Hands-Free Conversation

“…The first two authors and colleagues previously developed a simple low-fidelity simulator termed the Static Load Test (SLT) (Angell et al, 2002;Young et al, 2005). It enhanced the Peripheral Detection Task (PDT) (e.g.…”