Solving the Driver Distraction Dilemma
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OnStar plus
General Motors' OnStar-based Personal Calling and Virtual Advisor, now being rolled out, represent a leap forward in the company's use of voice technology. The first generation of OnStar provided for hands-free, cell-phone communication between the driver and the OnStar center; no other voice communication was possible. Personal Calling allows cell- phone calls to any number, which can be preprogrammed and dialed by a simple voice command such as "call Jody."
Virtual Advisor is an even bigger step forward, providing in-vehicle Internet access. It is all voice-based, with no display screen. Subscribers fill out a profile form for the types of information (e.g., stock quotes, e-mail messages, sports scores) they would like to have access to. As with Personal Calling, Virtual Advisor responds to simple voice commands such as "Give me stock quotes."
 Mercedes Benz's TeleAid system allows drivers to contact the company directly in three ways: the "SOS" button for emergency help (left), the wrench symbol for roadside assistance (right), and the "i" button for feature-related questions about the car (right). (The latter buttons are mounted in the center console.) |
GM sees OnStar not simply as a new feature, but also as a safety measure. People are increasingly using their laptops, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDA) as portable devices, "and there is a clear signal that they intend to use them in their vehicles," said Robert Lange, Engineering Director at GM's Safety Center in Warren, MI. "Given that, we believe there is a safety issue, and we believe the best way to deal with that safety challenge is for automotive manufacturers to become engaged in the process of importing data into the vehicle platform. Manufacturers who say they will not deliver information to the vehicle are kidding themselves; drivers who wish to do so will simply use the wireless devices available outside the motor-vehicle environment. Manufacturers cannot control that. It is better and safer for manufacturers to provide the data/information in an integrated manner optimized for safety."
Lange said voice is one of the driver-information interfaces that GM wants to commonize across its vehicle lineup. OnStar is the mechanism for that, but there is also the issue of common manual interfaces for vehicles with display screens, such as those in the Deville and Seville for navigation.
In addition to integrating electronic devices into the vehicle and establishing common interfaces, GM's other priority with respect to driver distraction is minimizing the number of steps required for a driver to make a phone call or change a CD, for example. "We'll have to balance glance time versus voice, and the decisions will be judgment-based," Lange said. "We'll lock out functions that are too demanding for them to be actively engaged upon while driving."
Driver education is another important element, according to Lange. The fundamental message, he said, is that "drivers must understand they are the ones responsible for the safe use of motor vehicle products" and must "self patrol" themselves with regard to using electronic devices, eating, putting on makeup, etc.
Like Visteon's Foley, Lange does not view voice technology as a silver bullet. "I think voice recognition is a tool we want to apply for the safe application of data and information import, but it does not, in and of itself, lend an infinite capacity for driver workload, which is why we'll continue to use lockouts," he said.
Lange believes that what drivers do with their mind is as important, if not more so, than what they do with their hands. "No manufacturer can control the cognitive workload a driver is engaging upon while driving, and it's the cognitive workload, not the physical or visual workload, that matters," he said.
A cautious voice
For all the research that has been done to date, much more is required to get a solid grasp of driver cognitive capabilities, according to Michael Shulman, Staff Technical Specialist, Ford Research Lab. "How people are able to process information is just something that's not well understood," he said. "As we move forward with voice technology, we're putting a lot more emphasis on 'hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.' But where's the driver's mind? I don't think anybody understands right now."
Though cautious about voice technology, Ford is relying on it as the primary interface for its Wingcast (Ford's answer to GM's OnStar) system, according to Shulman. Voice technology is used on the Jaguar S-TYPE, but on no other 2001 Ford brands.
With GM, Toyota, Nissan, and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) as partners, Ford is conducting a three-year research project to establish a workload metric that will help the OEMs decide which vehicle functions should be locked out while driving. SAE, ITS America, and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers are studying various aspects of driver distraction, as are organizations and companies in different parts of the globe. Shulman said Ford's hope is that the result of all this work will be a worldwide consensus on the issue.
SAE has proposed a standard suggesting that any route navigation function be locked out if it takes the driver more than 15 seconds to complete.
NHTSA does not plan to issue formal guidelines on driver distraction for another year and a half, at least, according to Joseph Kanianthra, Director of Vehicle Safety Research at NHTSA. He said the agency was to have completed by the end of 2000 a comprehensive driver distraction research plan "that becomes our governing document for all the research that needs to get done." NHTSA may issue informal guidelines in the interim, Kanianthra added.
"The problem is big enough for all of us to share in the solution," said Visteon's Foley. "And I see a lot of movement in that direction."
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