An ergonomic study of automotive dashboard icon familiarity

This study explored the identification and familiarity of automotive dashboard icons by experienced drivers from the UK. This study aimed to investigate how icon characteristics should be carefully considered and that icon familiarity is beneficial and hence improves driver safety. A review of literature found conflicting views regarding the most important icon characteristic as well as unclear standards guidance to facilitate designing usable car dashboard icons. An online experiment consisting of search-and-select and icon-interpretation paradigms was undertaken. The results suggest that standards guidance could be updated to emphasise the need for in-context testing and to reflect varying levels of icon characteristics. Practical implications of this work suggest that more robust development of dashboard icon familiarity testing may complement existing dashboard icon familiarity tests in the UK driving theory test.