Impact of conversational demand on driver distraction

This article concisely describes three experiments testing the effects of auditory/cognitive distraction deriving from levels of conversational demand. In the pilot study, 8 participants drove three simulated routes with and without the task of holding a conversation with the experimenter. In the pilot experiment, 8 participants drove three different virtual routes with and without conversing with the experimenter. In experiment 1, 24 participants drove one virtual route under three conditions: no interaction with the experimenter, holding an informal conversation and holding a conversation concerning issues at work. The same design was repeated in the second experiment, with the difference that the 12 participants were tested on the Lane Change Task (Mattes, 2003). The results suggest a significant effect for conversation on driver ability to control the vehicle laterally, as well as a differentiation between conversation topics.