Driving Risk of Female Drivers Under Different In-vehicle Interaction Modalities

This study employed a 2×2 multifactorial within-subjects design. The two key factors were interaction mode (touchscreen, physical buttons) and task difficulty (Skip a track, Text entry). This study aimed to examine the effects of these two factors on task completion performance and cognitive load for female drivers in a driving context.Prior to the formal experiment, a static test session was conducted. The experimenter briefed each participant driver on the test content and requirements, allowing them to fully familiarize themselves with the operational steps and procedures. Participants performed one complete trial run of the experimental procedure while the vehicle was stationary.Following the static test, the formal experiment commenced. In the formal experiment, each participant performed a 10-minute car-following driving task. Voice prompts were provided during the drive. While maintaining driving safety, each participant experienced two different interaction modes (touchscreen and physical buttons). Each interaction mode required the completion of two task types (skip a track and text entry). A 10-minute break was provided between different interaction modes and tasks. After completing all four task rounds, participants filled out the NASA-TLX scale four times. The experimental procedure is illustrated in