Konferens: 2nd international conference on driver distraction and inattention, 2011, Gothenburg, Sweden

This study examined the effects of performing scrollable music selection tasks using a portable music player (iPod Touch™) on simulated driving and task-sharing strategies, as evidenced through eye glance behaviour and secondary task performance. Nineteen young (18-23 yrs) and 18 middle-aged (26-48 yrs) drivers completed the PC-based MUARC Driver Distraction Test (DDT) while performing music selection tasks on an iPod Touch, whereby drivers were required to search for a target song in long vs. short scrollable lists. Drivers’ eye glance behaviour was examined using FaceLab. Results revealed that performing the music search tasks while driving increased the amount of time that drivers spent with their eyes off the roadway and decreased their ability to maintain lane position. However, there was also evidence that drivers attempted to regulate their behaviour when distracted by decreasing their speed and taking a large number of short glances towards the device. Few differences were found across young and middle-aged drivers in terms of the effect of the song selection tasks on driving performance or task-sharing strategies. Overall, the results suggest that using portable music players while driving can have a range of safety-critical effects and strategies for managing this issue are discussed.