A Study on the Combined Effect of Noise and Vibration on the Performance of a Readability Task in a Mobile Driving Environment by Operators of Different Ages

This study investigated the combined effect of noise and vibration on the performance of a readability task in a mobile driving environment by operators of different ages. Subjects performed a readability task on a laptop computer in a sitting posture without their backs supported under varying levels of noise and vibration. Data in terms of a mean number of characters read per minute were collected and statistically analyzed. Results showed that the individual effects of noise, vibration, and operators’ age as well as the interaction between operators’ age and vibration were statistically significant. However, the combined effect of noise and vibration was not found to be statistically significant. Results also indicated that the operators’ age was statistically significant at all levels of vibration and vibration was statistically significant at all levels of operators’ age.