Driver Distraction: Effects of Text Entry Methods on Driving Performance

Abstract

This research investigates the effect of cell phone interface design on simulated driving performance. The effects of three text message conditions (no text, touch screen keyboard, physical keyboard) on lateral vehicle control and operator workload (mental and physical) were evaluated. Twenty three participants performed a lane change task for each of the text message conditions. The results indicate that drivers had greater lane variability and reported higher workload when using a touch screen compared to physical keyboard. The findings of this study suggest that a touch screen interface may exacerbate the effects of a secondary task (e.g. texting) on driving performance.