Evaluating the cognitive and psychological effects of real-time auditory travel information on drivers using EEG

Real-time travel information design with inadequate consideration of human factors can lead to driver distraction and diminish road safety. This study measures drivers’ brain electrical activity patterns to evaluate multiple aspects of driver cognition and psychology under real-time information provision using insights from the neuroscience domain on the localisation of brain functions. The brain electrical activity patterns of 84 participants are collected using an electroencephalogram (EEG) in an interactive driving simulator environment. The impacts of real-time auditory travel information characteristics (amount, sufficiency, and content) and different time stages of interaction with information provision (before, during, and after) on the frequency band powers of EEG signals in different brain regions are analyzed using linear mixed models. Study results illustrate that drivers exert more cognitive effort to perceive/process information on routes with complex driving environments. Insufficient information may evoke increased attention to internal processing and memory processing on routes characterised by higher travel time uncertainty, while route recommendation to switch to such routes may increase drivers’ stress and anxiety. The study findings can aid information providers, both private and public, as well as auto manufacturers to incorporate driver cognition in designing safer real-time information and their delivery systems.