On-road Guided Slow Breathing Interventions for Car Commuters.

This is the first on-road study testing the efficacy and safety of guided slow breathing interventions in a car. This paper presents design and experimental implications when evolving from prior simulator to on-road scenarios. We ran a controlled study (N=40) testing a haptic guided breathing system in a closed circuit under stress and not-stressed driving conditions. Preliminary results validate prior findings about the efficacy and safety of the intervention. Initial qualitative analysis shows an overall positive acceptance, and no safety-critical incidents (e.g., hard brakes or severe lane departures) -- all participants graded the intervention as safe for real traffic applications. Going further, additional analysis is needed before exposing commuters to the intervention on public roads.