Fifty-four drivers, ranging in age from 19 to 77, sat in a mockup of a sedan with a Velcro-covered instrument panel. Drivers placed switches they preferred for 9 functions (cruise on/off, wiper, etc.) where they wanted them. There were 245 switch designs (stalk controls, pushbuttons, etc.) to choose among. Drivers also described the motion to operate each control and said why particular locations, switches, and motions were preferred. When the design was completed, drivers reached for each control while operating a driving simulator. Drivers preferred hub-mounted cruise controls (rocker or pushbutton for on/off, pushbutton for set), ceiling-mounted dome light switches (rocker), stalk-mounted wiper/washer controls, column-mounted hazard switches (rocker), column-mounted ignition switches, and placing the headlights and panel brightness switches low on the left side of the panel. Most commonly, drivers said they preferred locations and switches because those items were expected or familiar, but the switches or locations they chose matched what was in their current cars less than half of the time. Except for switch preferences (which were linked to torso size), what drivers wanted was unrelated to their experience with vehicles, their age, sex, or physical characteristics. (A)
Abstract