Prototype Auditory Displays for a Fuel Efficiency Driver Interface

We describe work-in-progress prototypes of auditory displays for fuel efficiency driver interfaces (FEDIs). Although research has established that feedback from FEDIs can have a positive impact on driver behaviors associated with fuel economy, the impact of FEDIs on driver distraction has not been established. Visual displays may be problematic for providing this feedback; it is precisely during fuel-consuming behaviors that drivers should not divert attention away from the driving task. Auditory displays offer a viable alternative to visual displays for communicating information about fuel economy to the driver without introducing visual distraction.