To examine strategies for reducing driver distraction while answering the phone, 24 participants answered called while driving a simulator. Participants answered calls using a center-console mounted phone and using several phone designs which utilised a HUD to display the caller ID. Workload was manipulated by varying the curve radius and where the phone rang, either 1 second before or 5 seconds after the start of a curve. The HUD-based phones resulted in faster response times and better driving performance than the conventional center-console phone, especially for older drivers add in a % better if room. As the road curvature increased, the response times increased and the driving performance decreased when using the center-console phone. However, there was little effect on response time or driving performance due to road curvature when using the HUD-based phone. (Author/publisher)
Abstract