Empowering Driver-Passenger Collaboration: Designing In-Car Systems with a Focus on Social Connectedness, Fairness, and Team Performance

Driving a car can be difficult when it comes to distractions caused by operating the in-vehicle infotainment system (IVIS). In-car passengers often help with performing IVIS-related tasks. However, an IVIS is not designed focus on task collaboration. In this article, we how design in-car systems goal support collaboration between driver and front-seat passenger. Based infotainment-oriented tasks, initially explore five key collaborative control concepts means of which differ from each other in terms number available screens (one or two), access menus (restricted unrestricted), nature tasks parallel one after other. Results simulator study N = 16 pairs show significant effects social perceived connectedness (measured sub-dimensions connectedness, affiliation, belongingness, companionship), team performance (coordination effectiveness cohesion), fairness. We found that especially dedicated passenger screen empowers passengers, reduces power dynamics, supports fairness, minimizes distraction (caused interacting passengers). discuss implications these findings posit recommendations future cars improved driver-passenger explicitly designing for balanced roles, situational awareness, active communication, balance drivers’ privacy trust toward Additionally, outline systematic overview work research field more breadth depth.