Surrogate Distraction Measurement Techniques: The Lane Change Test

Abstract

More and more technologies such as telephones, navigation systems, and entertainment systems are becoming available for use in passenger cars. This development inevitably forces automobile manufacturers, after-sales equipment providers, and also authorities to consider the unwanted potential of such systems to distract drivers from the primary task of driving. Methods suggested to investigate this question range from simple laboratory tests to extensive on-road studies, each of which has advantages and drawbacks. This chapter discusses the lane-change test (LCT), a relatively new dual-task approach for evaluating the impact on driving performance while simultaneously performing a secondary task. The LCT combines the advantages of classic reaction time measurement approaches with those of driving simulator techniques, and is meant to provide a simple, cost-efficient, reliable, and valid tool for evaluating the demand of in-vehicle information and communication systems.