New research reveals that drivers have a tough time managing important driving functions when using dashboard touch screens, regardless of the size of the screen.
The details: The study—conducted by the University of Washington (UW) and Toyota Research Institute—involved 16 participants driving a simulator to measure how driving and touchscreen use changes with higher mental effort and what strategies drivers adopt to cope.
The research revealed that when participants interacted with the screen, they drifted side-to-side in the lane 42% more often.
Touch performance dropped significantly, with touchscreen accuracy and speed decreasing 58% when driving, and then another 17% under high cognitive load.
The dangerous tendency of “hand-before-eye” was more common with more mental effort—with drivers moving their hand toward the control before looking, rising from 63% to 71% as a memory task was introduced.
What they’re saying: “We all know it’s dangerous to use your phone while driving,” said co-senior author James Fogarty, a UW professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, per a UW press release. “But what about the car’s touch screen? We wanted to understand that interaction so we can design interfaces specifically for drivers.”
Why it matters: For dealers, this kind of safety research directly affects how customers perceive (and insurers and regulators evaluate) the big tablet-style screens that have become core to many brands’ appeal. Being able to explain voice controls, physical shortcut buttons, and safer interaction modes clearly can help reassure buyers who worry about distraction—and position your store as a trusted guide, not just a gadget showroom.
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Between the lines: Even more, the study reveals that larger touchscreen surfaces, which have become a major selling point for many car companies, did not improve the participants’ ability to better multitask.
Increasing the size of the target areas did not meaningfully fix the speed or accuracy problems drivers had while multitasking.
The main bottleneck for participants wasn’t finger precision—which bigger targets usually help—but the time spent visually searching for the target after shifting gaze from the road to the screen.
Looking ahead: To address the problem, the researchers recommend that automakers integrate simple sensors—eye tracking, or touch sensors on the steering wheel—to monitor drivers’ attention and cognitive load, with the sensors being able to adjust the touch screen’s interface to make important controls more prominent and safer to access.
What they’re saying: “Touch screens are widespread today in automobile dashboards, so it is vital to understand how interacting with touch screens affects drivers and driving,” said co-senior author Jacob O. Wobbrock, a UW professor in the Information School, per the press release. “Our research is some of the first that scientifically examines this issue, suggesting ways for making these interfaces safer and more effective.”
Bottom line: As touchscreens get bigger and more complex, dealers should lean into demonstrating safer ways to use them—highlighting voice commands, steering-wheel controls, and simple layouts—while keeping an eye on future models that bake in smarter, driver-aware interfaces.
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