Physical and cognitive demands associated with police in-vehicle technology use: an on-road case study

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of police officers’ deaths in line of duty. These crashes have been mainly attributed to officers’ driving distraction caused by the use of in-vehicle technologies while driving. This paper presents a 3-h ride-along study of 20 police officers to assess the physical and cognitive demands associated with using in-vehicle technologies. The findings suggested that the mobile computer terminal (MCT) was the most frequently used in-vehicle system for the officers. In addition, officers perceived the MCT to significantly increase their visual, cognitive, and physical demands compared to other in-vehicle technologies. Evidence from electromyography and eye-tracking measures suggested that officers with more experience as a patrol officer and those who were working in more congested areas experienced higher cognitive workload. Furthermore, it was found that as the ride-along duration increased, there were indications of muscle fatigue in medial deltoid and triceps brachii muscles. Practitioner summary: This study assessed the impact of police in-vehicle technology use in an on-road case study. The findings provide new data and knowledge for police agencies and vehicle manufacturers to develop administrative measures and in-vehicle technology innovations to improve police officers’ health and safety.