In-vehicle technologies such as voice-based and touch-screen features visually and mentally distract drivers for dangerous periods of time, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA).
Completing tasks like programming navigation or sending a text message via an infotainment system visually and mentally distracts drivers for more than 40 seconds, the research finds. With one in three U.S. adults using infotainment systems while driving, AAA cautions that using these technologies while behind the wheel can have dangerous consequences.
“Some in-vehicle technology can create unsafe situations for drivers on the road by increasing the time they spend with their eyes and attention off the road and hands off the wheel,” said Dr. David Yang, Executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “When an in-vehicle technology is not properly designed, simple tasks for drivers can become complicated and require more effort from drivers to complete.”
The AAA commissioned researchers from the University of Utah to examine the visual (eyes off road) and cognitive (mental) demand as well as the time it took drivers to complete a task using the infotainment systems in 30 new 2017 vehicles. Study participants used voice command, touch screen and other interactive technologies to make a call, send a text message, tune the radio or program navigation, all while driving down a road.
Programming navigation was found to be the most distracting task, taking an average of 40 seconds for drivers to complete. When driving at 25 mph, a driver could travel the length of four football fields during the time it could take to enter a destination in navigation—all while distracted from the important task of driving. Programming navigation while driving was available in 12 of the 30 vehicle systems tested.
“Some of the latest systems on the market now include functions unrelated to the core task of driving like sending text messages, checking social media or surfing the web — tasks we have no business doing behind the wheel,” said Marshall Doney, AAA’s President and CEO. “Automakers should aim to reduce distractions by designing systems that are no more visually or mentally demanding than listening to the radio or an audiobook. And drivers should avoid the temptation to engage with these technologies, especially for non-driving tasks.”
