Transportation Expertise

Driver Distraction, Interface, and Workload

UMTRI researchers develop and evaluate equipment–such as controls, displays, navigation systems, cell phones, and warnings–used in the car while driving. Their goal is to better understand how people drive, which tasks they can safely handle and which are distracting, and where drivers look while they drive. This research is conducted in UMTRI's driving simulator, which has been used to examine the effects of alcohol and physical disabilities, and is being considered for use in studying the effects of medications on driving ability.

Selected projects in this area:

Human Factors for Wiser Brain Speech Interfaces: Interface Development
Sponsor: Nissan Motor Company
Investigator: Paul Green
10/01/2005 - 05/31/2006

MI Technology Tri-Corridor Fund, Funding Category 1: Neural Mechanisms of Driving Safety and Speech Distraction Using fMRI and MEG Imaging
Sponsor:
Investigator: John M. Sullivan
09/01/2005 - 08/31/2008

Evaluation of Industry Safety Principles for In-Vehicle Information and Communication
Sponsor: Humansystems, Inc.
Investigator: Paul Green
01/10/2005 - 03/31/2006