how we can identify the probable mean of achieving excellent performance in driving and the adaptability of text messaging
- The main research question addressed by the authors is how we can identify the probable mean of achieving excellent performance in driving and the adaptability of text messaging by the use of in-vehicle systems—addressing the high-risk level of making calls while driving. People extensively use text messaging for communication, in addition to making calls. A drastic increase in text messaging system has been observed compared to making phone calls while driving. Hence making text messages has become most detrimental to driver’s performance than making calls. Here, the authors address how new methodologies can be used to ensure drivers’ safety and reduce accident rates by focusing on the concentration and mental stability of drivers. Also, further improvements in text messaging methodologies are addressed by authors.
- Main approaches other researches involved the usage of a driving simulator for studying the usage of text messages, which they satisfied to be more detrimental to driving than calling under varying driving situations, including pedestrian avoidance, changing of the lane, etc. Other authors also enlist several handheld devices in the study
In-vehicle system by making use of dialing contacts and having phone conversations and selecting music track using in-vehicle methods and driver’s device.
- The first approach the authors brought here is that several factor analysis which checks the driver’s performance compared to the extant methods, Here evaluation of drivers performance with text messaging using handheld mobile and the in-vehicle system has been examined and various factors which contribute to the driver’s performance were thoroughly analyzed unlike other researches has not proposed a study on the usage of text messaging rather than calling. In this study, a comparison has been made between a group of people in the older generation as well as, the younger generation as well as between receiving as well as sending of text messages which have not been addressed by other authors in literature. Also, the tests have been conducted by using vehicles equipped with the SYNC system. The reaction of the driver’s towards surprise events while reading a text message also has not been seen in literature so far
- Here the participants were screened using vehicles equipped with the SYNC system and by identifying a list using only local owners provided by Ford.
Participants were selected on the basis of using the vehicle for a mean of more than ten months were younger or older generations, and they were paid $ 20 an additional $ 5 for incurring text messages or phone calls made.
Only the owners comfortable with hearing to music or making calls many times in a week were only selected, and participants were not screened regarding current text message usage. This approach could be reconciled as identifying or selecting more participants or owners who use text messages rather than calling. And for generalizing the result, more participants should have been included by testing the human eye and its power to see the faraway objects while driving.
- The factorial design proposed by authors was a 2x2x2 mixed factorial design with younger and older ages being the subject factors and sending and receiving of messages and modality being within-subject factors. Here younger and older age people have been checked together with the task parameters satisfying the major factors for design.
The study could have been done better by choosing different network connections as the range provided by different network connection may vary during the experiment; also the duration of the experiment could be increased by choosing different sites and laps for the experiment like hilly area, terrain area and plain or rolling terrains for differentiating study under different site conditions. The participants may be chosen based on the test for the power of the eye and its perfection while driving as it contributes to overall performance.
- Dependent variables in this study include maximum steering wheel velocity and its position variance, number of steering wheel reversals. Also derived from video reduction includes duration and tasks related to glance as defined by fixations directed to the instrument cluster, steering wheels interior objects and center stack, etc. further, it could be generalized based on three themes, which are vehicle network, hoc video reduction, and subjective report.
Dependent variables chosen here enabled the participants to ensure mental demand after each task by NASA TLX. Here they verbally rated mental demand by experimenting with a combination of driving and performance, which helps to answer the question in research.
- The factorial design here is a mixed factorial design with independent factors age, task, and modality. Conceptual questions arise here involves why only a small sample space has been chosen for the research, as well as regarding tasks which include both sending and receiving of texts, here more clarity could be given regarding the network conditions of service providers as there may differ in quality and service provided by different network providers as it requires more attention to factors here can be classified on the basis of subject, task and modality
Selecting the participants, including older and younger generations, contributes to the subject factor. Sending and receiving of messages contributes to task factor and usage of handheld or in-vehicle system for communication contributes to modality factor
Also, trying different phones for research like qwerty keypads and others is time consuming compared to an application-oriented smartphone like android or ios. A comparison could also have been made between different software applications like java, android, bada, ios, as this also contributes more. Also, the system specifications like random access memories, etc.
Sending and receiving of messages may have an impact on overall drivers’ assessment as there may be changes that arise in the mental concentration of the participants, which pertains to the main research question. Participant selection involved different age people, so their mental ability and concentration may also differ, contributing to the overall performance of drivers, whereas using a handheld or in-vehicle system may not have further impact in performance as its the sudden act performed accordingly.