The effect of age and gender on task performance in the automobile

Abstract

The automobile is becoming more complex as vehicle technologies advance. As a result, driver awareness of internal and external aspects of the environment will influence performance for a range of activities. Inclusivity is an important aspect of vehicle design, especially as autonomous driving functionality increases. This paper examines how users of differing gender and age perform within the vehicle. A simulator study was carried out to assess performance on a range of tasks, whilst driving under different driving conditions. The results show that differences exist between males and females, and older and younger operators for a range of driving and non-driving measures. Older operators generated higher steering wheel variation than younger drivers in driving-only conditions, whilst older and female operators require more button presses and glances away from the road than younger and male operators. The implications relating to in-vehicle interface design are discussed.