Objective: To link working memory to driver situational awareness (SA) for surrounding traffic.
Background: Operating a motor vehicle is a complex activity that requires drivers to maintain a high level of SA. Working memory has been conceptually linked to SA; however, the roles of working memory subsystems in supporting driver SA is unclear.
Method: Participants drove a simulated vehicle and monitored surrounding traffic while concurrently performing either visuospatial- or phonological-load tasks. Drivers’ SA was indexed as the ability to recall the positions of the surrounding traffic relative to their own vehicle at the end of each trial.
Results: In Experiment 1, a visuospatial task interfered with drivers’ ability to recall the positions of traffic located in front of their vehicle. In contrast, a phonological task interfered with drivers’ ability to recall the positions of traffic located behind their vehicle. Experiment 2 confirmed and extended the findings of Experiment 1 with the use of different visuospatial- and phonological-load tasks.
Conclusion: Visuospatial and phonological codes play a role in supporting driver SA for traffic located in the forward view and the rear view, respectively.
Application: Drivers’ SA for surrounding vehicles is disrupted by concurrent performance on secondary tasks. The development and implementation of new in-cabin communication, navigation, and informational technologies needs to be done with the knowledge that components of drivers’ working memory capacity may be exceeded, thereby compromising driving safety.
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