Head-Up Displays and Distraction Potential

Russell, Sheldon M.; Radlbeck, Joshua; Atwood, Jon; Schaudt, W. Andy; McLaughlin, Shane B. · 2023 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This study, conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, investigates the distraction potential of automotive head-up displays (HUDs) compared to traditional head-down displays (HDDs) and aftermarket smartphone displays. The research addresses the dual nature of HUD technology: while HUDs may reduce visual distraction by minimizing the time drivers spend looking away from the road (the "HUD benefit time window"), they risk causing "cognitive capture," where drivers fixate on the display within their field of view and fail to perceive external hazards. The primary objective was to determine how HUD usage affects a driver’s ability to process forward road scenes and respond to crash-imminent situations. The experimental design involved 48 participants aged 20–35 or 50–65, who drove a 2010 Buick LaCrosse equipped with an OEM HUD, an OEM HDD, and an aftermarket smartphone display. The study comprised two components: public road driving and a controlled test on the Virginia Smart Road. During the public road phase, participants completed three 20-mile laps, each assigned a different display condition. They performed simple tasks, such as reporting vehicle speed or direction, while researchers measured eyes-on-display (EOD) time. In the Smart Road component, participants performed a cognitively demanding task—silently reading the display and reporting a specific character—to induce cognitive capture. While engaged in this task or "just driving," a lead vehicle dropped a cardboard box into the roadway as a surprise event. Researchers measured reaction times (braking or swerving) and the time taken to look forward from the display. Results indicated that during simple information retrieval tasks on public roads, drivers had significantly less EOD time with the HUD compared to the HDD or aftermarket display, supporting the concept of the HUD benefit time window. However, during periods of "just driving," drivers glanced at the HUD more frequently (11% EOD) than at other displays (5.8% for HDD, 7.8% for aftermarket), though total dwell time remained under two seconds. Crucially, during the surprise event on the test track, reaction times were significantly slower when drivers were performing the fixation task compared to just driving. There were no significant differences in reaction times among the three display types when drivers were fixated on them; focusing on the HUD was as distracting as focusing on the HDD or aftermarket display. Many participants in all conditions failed to notice the dropped box entirely. The study concludes that while HUDs offer a visual advantage for quick glances, they do not mitigate cognitive distraction when drivers are engaged in tasks requiring sustained attention. The position of the HUD in the driver’s field of view does not prevent cognitive capture or improve response times to external hazards compared to other displays. The findings suggest that future HUD designs, particularly augmented reality systems, must be carefully engineered to avoid drawing excessive visual and cognitive attention, as distraction from a HUD can have negative safety consequences similar to those of traditional displays.

Key finding

Drivers exhibited faster glance times to head-up displays for simple information retrieval, but their reaction times to surprise road events were not improved compared to head-down or aftermarket displays when engaged in cognitively demanding tasks.

Methodology

on_road

Sample size: 48

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified_with_issues.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• hud ar windshield
• visual
• external distraction
• in vehicle displays
• temporal
• useful field of view

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: design guidelines
• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data
• Methodological Resource: measurement protocol