Driver visual attention and in-vehicle touchscreen - the role of short training session

Sep 18, 2026

The study examines whether a short predrive training session can reduce visual distraction and improve how drivers interact with in-vehicle center stack touchscreens. Using a driving simulator and eye-tracking, 60 licensed Norwegian drivers were split into trained and untrained groups and completed secondary touchscreen tasks. Trained drivers showed slightly fewer fixations, shorter fixation durations, and lower touchscreen area self-transition probabilities, but differences were not statistically significant. Results suggest touchscreen interfaces are complex and that familiarization may offer limited benefits.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

In-vehicle touchscreen integration and safety concerns

Visual distraction and task-dependent effects

Interface variability and learning curve

Need for training and research gap

Hazoor, A., & Marinelli, G. (2026) . Driver visual attention and in-vehicle touchscreen: the role of short training session. Traffic Safety Research, 10, e000137 . [https://doi.org/10.55329/xznx4003](https://doi.org/10.55329/xznx4003) Research article Driver visual attention and in-vehicle touchscreen: the role of short training session Abrar Hazoor1, a, Giuseppe Marinelli1 1 Nord University, Norway Keywords: distraction, driver training, driving simulator, eye movement behaviour, touchscreen, visual attention, Northern Europe [https://doi.org/10.55329/xznx4003](https://doi.org/10.55329/xznx4003) The growing integration of in-vehicle centre stack touchscreens has enhanced driver access to information and control systems but raised significant safety concerns due to increased visual distraction. This study investigates whether a short predrive training session can mitigate distraction and improve driver interaction within-vehicle touchscreen. Using a driving simulator and eye-tracking technology, 60 licensed Norwegian drivers were assigned to trained and untrained groups to compare visual attention patterns during secondary tasks involving touchscreen use. Results showed that while all participants exhibited high visual demand on the touchscreen, trained drivers demonstrated slightly lower fixation counts, shorter durations, and reduced self-transition probabilities within the touchscreen area, suggesting more efficient and potentially safer interactions. However, these differences were not statistically significant, indicating a limited effect of the short training provided. The findings highlight the complexity of the touchscreen interface and potential of predrive touchscreen familiarization in improving visual attention. 1. Introduction The widespread adoption of in-vehicle centre stack touchscreens has become an important feature of modern vehicles. Touchscreens act as a main interface between drivers and Invehicle Information Systems (IVIS) and allow drivers to perform a wide range of actions, including audio and media selection (e.g., choosing radio stations, playlists, or adjusting sound settings), managing phone calls through Bluetooth or integrated communication systems, adjusting climate control settings, accessing navigation systems, and interacting with other vehicle functionalities (e.g., activating Driver Assistance Systems) . Hence, these touchscreen interfaces centralize many previously manual or physical controls into a single digital surface. However, while these touchscreens improve convenience, their use during driving has raised significant safety concerns (Dingus et al., 2016) . To interact with the IVIS, drivers often divert their visual attention from the primary driving task to the touchscreen (Donmez et al., 2010) . A key concern is the visual distraction created by IVIS, as drivers must frequently shift their focus from the road to interact with the touchscreen, thereby compromising their ability to detect hazardsand react promptly. The level of distraction depends on the type of touchscreen operation, as not all touchscreen operations affect driver attention equally. Tasks that require visual search, or multiple steps, such as entering navigation destinations, browsing music lists, or managing text messages, tend to increase visual (and physical) distraction and reaction times more than simpler, single-step interactions (Ranney et al., 2001) . For example, previous studies have demonstrated that navigation entry and complex menu browsing are associated with significantly longer eyesoff-road times compared to tasks such as adjusting climate settings or accepting an incoming call (Burnett et al., 2013; Feng et al., a Corresponding author: abrar.hazoor@nord.no Hazoor & Marinelli (2026) Driver visual attention and in-vehicle touchscreen: the role of... 2018) . This aligns with the broader distraction literature, which shows that secondary tasks vary in their cognitive and

FAQs

What is the main safety concern addressed by the study?

In-vehicle center stack touchscreens can increase visual distraction by pulling drivers’ attention from the road to the touchscreen, potentially delaying hazard detection and responses.

How did the researchers test the effect of training?

They used a driving simulator with eye-tracking and assigned 60 licensed Norwegian drivers to trained and untrained groups for secondary tasks involving touchscreen use.

Did the short predrive training significantly improve driver visual attention?

Trained drivers showed slightly lower fixation counts and shorter fixation durations, but the differences were not statistically significant, indicating a limited effect.

Sep 18, 2026

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