A code of practice for in-vehicle information systems

We should all be concerned that the benefits of new technologies available to the car driver whilst he/she is on the move are not outweighed by a reduction in overall safety. How do we ensure that the driver is not distracted from the primary task of safe control of the vehicle while using new in-vehicle systems such as navigation aids, communications and so forth. The UK Department of Transport is very aware of this issue, and at the same time recognises that the time taken to develop regulations and standards would be significantly longer than the time-to-market of many products. The Department of Transport therefore asked ICE Ergonomics to develop a code of practice covering the design, installation and use of driver information systems. This paper summarises the content of the code of practice