Talking to your car is often distracting

Two new AAA-University of Utah studies show that despite public belief to the contrary, hands-free, voice-controlled automobile infotainment systems can distract drivers, although it is possible to design them to be safer.

“Even though your car may be configured to support social media, texting and phone calls, it doesn’t mean it is safe to do so,” says University of Utah psychology professor and study leader David Strayer. “The primary task should be driving. Things that take your attention away make you a poor driver and make the roads less safe.”

The studies were sponsored by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, an arm of the non-profit AAA, formerly known as the American Automobile Association.

Results from the studies:

• One new study found that using your voice to make phone calls and tune the radio with Chevrolet’s MyLink system distracted drivers the most. Mercedes’ COMMAND system, MyFord Touch and Chrysler’s UConnect were better, but all diverted attention more than a mobile phone conversation. The least distracting system was Toyota’s Entune, which took as much attention as listening to a book on tape, followed by Hyundai’s Blue Link, which was a bit more distracting, but less than talking with a passenger.
• In the other new study, using Apple iPhone’s Siri to send and receive texts, post to Facebook and Twitter and use a calendar was more distracting than any other voice-activated technology - even when it was modified for use as a hands-free, eyes-free device so drivers kept their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

AAA and Strayer urge drivers to minimise use of distracting in-vehicle technology. The new studies provide recommendations to automakers to help make future voice-controlled systems “simpler and more accurate” in responding to voice commands, and thus less distracting, Strayer says.

“We are concerned we may be making distraction problems worse by going to voice-activated technology, especially if it’s not easy to use,” Strayer says. “But the reality is these systems are here to stay. Given that, let’s make the technology as safe as possible with the goal of making it no more distracting than listening to the radio.”