Many car accidents are caused by human distractions, including cognitive distractions. In-vehicle human-machine interfaces (HMIs) have evolved throughout the years, providing more and more functions. Interaction with the HMIs can, however, also lead to further distractions and, as a consequence, accidents. To tackle this problem, we propose using adaptive HMIs that change according to the mental workload of the driver. In this work, we present the current status as well as preliminary results of a user study using naturalistic secondary tasks while driving (i.e., the primary task) that attempt to understand the effects of one such interface. CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing → User centered design; • Applied computing → Psychology.