How Long Can a Driver (Safely) Glance at an Augmented-Reality Head-Up Display?

Abstract

Augmented-Reality (AR) head-up display (HUD) is one of the promising solutions to reduce distraction potential while driving and performing secondary visual tasks; however, we currently don’t know how to effectively evaluate interfaces in this area. In this study, we show that current visual distraction standards for evaluating in-vehicle displays may not be applicable for AR HUDs. We provide evidence that AR HUDs can afford longer glances with no decrement in driving performance. We propose that the selection of measurement methods for driver distraction research should be guided not only by the nature of the task under evaluation but also by the properties of the method itself.