Improving road safety and user experience by employing dynamic in-vehicle information systems

Abstract

Modern vehicular infotainment systems are becoming increasingly complex and are embracing a wide range of functionalities. Interacting with some of these functionalities, while driving, may increase the driver's workload and affect the execution of primary driving tasks. This article addresses this issue and proposes a practical application that could help overcome the problem as well as improve the driving experience. The applied method consists of developing a system capable of estimating the driving complexity in real time using variables already available in current vehicles, and responding according to the complexity reference, to apply countermeasures to the infotainment system. The intended purpose is to facilitate the interaction with the functionalities and reducing the amount of information offered to the driver in complex scenarios. A baseline system was built and tested, demonstrating the feasibility of its implementation in current vehicles.