How Does an In-Vehicle Agent Accent Influence Driver Behavior and Perception?

Abstract

Accents convey subtle social and cultural cues, raising the question of whether they also influence human–machine interactions in critical settings such as driving. In this study, we employed a 3 × 3 mixed design, with linguistic background (Southern U.S., non-Southern U.S., international) as a between-subjects factor and accent condition (Mainstream U.S. English, Southern U.S. English, Navigation-Only) as a within-subjects factor. A total of 36 participants completed a series of driving scenarios in a motion-based driving simulator while exposed to in vehicle agents with varied accents. Objective measures indicated that the Southern accent condition yielded more stable driving performance. Subjective evaluations were also more favorable in the Southern accent condition compared to the two other conditions. Overall, these findings underscore the potential benefits of incorporating regionally distinctive voice accents into in-vehicle agents to enhance user engagement, improve driving stability, and ultimately promote safer driving behavior.