A recent study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic looked at the impact that in-car infotainment systems had on a driver’s ability to keep their mental and physical attention on the road. The study looked at 40 infotainment systems installed in 2017 and 2018 model year vehicles and found that 72% of these systems required either a high or very high demand on a driver’s attention.
When people think of distracted driving they often think about picking up their phone and texting or calling someone, but this most recent study shows that even using the in-dash systems can be incredibly demanding on a driver’s attention and can have fatal results.
The study required that participants, while driving, utilize the infotainment system in the following ways:
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Access the system using voice commands or touch
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Make a phone call
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Send a text
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Set-up audio programming
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Program navigation
Not one of the infotainment systems that AAA looked at actually met the standard that AAA recommends auto manufacturers meet when designing these systems and that is to require a low demand on the driver’s attention. In fact, 100% of the 40 infotainment systems that were tested required AT LEAST a moderate amount of attention from the driver.
The study also looked at apps that have been released for phones that purport to be designed with driving in mind. Systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were tested and the results were better, but not in any statistically significant way.
The safest thing you can do to avoid a Connecticut auto accident due to distracted driving is to set your navigation and your audio entertainment BEFORE you hit the road and then leave it where it is until you get to your destination.
