Passenger comfort over time: stationary vs. driven scenarios and implications for study design

Journal article, 2025

Assessing passengers' car comfort is resource-intensive, highlighting the need for efficient study designs. This study examined how scenario type (stationary vs. driven) and duration influence the sitting comfort of belted rear-seat passengers. Nineteen participants completed two 45-minute sessions, with comfort assessments at 15-minute intervals through questionnaires, interviews, and videos. Comfort decreased within 15 minutes in both scenarios ( r > 0.750 ), with further decreases in the stationary scenario between 15 and 45 minutes ( r > 1.000 ), where increased self-awareness encouraged critical assessments. In contrast, comfort stabilised in the driven scenario, reflecting natural postural adjustments and psychological comfort. Shorter stationary studies ( ≤ 15 minutes) capture decreases in overall comfort, longer stationary studies ( ≤ 45 minutes) capture discomfort across multiple body regions, and longer driven studies ( ≤ 45 minutes) capture postural adjustments and shoulder movement for passengers with certain body shapes. Overall, this study provides practical implications for designing efficient studies of passenger comfort in cars.