Placement of information in the car's windshield investigated
A researcher at Luleå University of Technology has investigated where in the windshield, it is best to view important information for the driver. "Head Up Display" in the front window with information to the driver is well known, but no one before has examined where in the windshield the drivers prefer it to be located. The survey was conducted in three different countries and became an optimized solution based on road safety
- All those who participated in the survey from the three countries agreed that important information about safety should be high up in the windshield as close to traffic as possible. In my research I found out how people drive and what they think, and on the basis of answers created a variable location in the front window adapted to the driver, says Phillip Tretten, PhD at Luleå University of Technology
He has studied various aspects of information in vehicles in Sweden, the US and China, given that motorists will eventually be dealing with more and more information in their vehicles. It is not only information related to security that is increasing and is interesting for the driver and the car market. Music, cell phone, text messaging, email, Facebook and the Internet may be other sources of information in the car. The car market is a highly competitive industry where small errors in the models can result in large losses. One way to reduce risk is to take into account the client's needs and desires without compromising road safety.
- More information sources can be distracting and give more accidents, therefore it is important how information is presented to the driver so that it does not happen, says Phillip Tretten who investigated this in the three countries.
- The Chinese put more emphasis on safety features, the Swedes on the information that showed the car's status, such as engine and oil pressure while the Americans were more interested in getting information about what should be tackled in the car, he says
After testing the different solutions in a simulator and then in traffic with Head Up Display, drivers agreed that safety information should appear high up in the car and that the placement of the windshield can be adjusted for different needs. More entertainment stressed information in the form of various kinds of media thought they could be placed high up and in the middle of the dashboard, while the information important to the operation of the car may be behind the wheel.
