abstract
Hearing loss has been shown to exacerbate the effect of auditory distraction on driving performance
in older drivers. This study controlled for the potentially confounding factor of
age-related cognitive decrements, by applying a simulated hearing loss in young, normally
hearing individuals. Participants drove a simulated road whilst completing auditory tasks
under simulated hearing loss or normal hearing conditions. Measures of vehicle control,
eye movements and auditory task performance were recorded. Results showed that performing
the auditory tasks whilst driving resulted in more stable lateral vehicle control
and a reduction in gaze dispersion around the road centre. These trends were not exacerbated
by simulated hearing loss, suggesting no effect of hearing loss on vehicle control or
eye movement patterns during auditory task engagement. However, a small effect of simulated
hearing loss on the performance of the most complex auditory task was observed
during driving, suggesting that the use of sound-based in-vehicle systems may be problematic
for hearing impaired individuals. Further research incorporating a wider variety of
driving scenarios and auditory tasks is required in order to confirm the findings of this
study