Entertainment technology distracts drivers

Cramming too many functions into the infotainment system distracts the driver, increasing the risk of an accident.

According to a study by the American Automobile Association (AAA), car manufacturers are cramming too many features into the central entertainment screen, causing drivers to easily lose focus for long periods of time while driving.

The study, published Thursday, was led by University of Utah professor David Strayer, who has been studying the impact of in-car infotainment systems for AAA since 2013.

Automakers are cramming too many functions into their infotainment systems.

Carmakers now offer a wide variety of infotainment systems, allowing drivers to use social media, email, and text messaging. In the past, cars had just a few buttons. Now, the average car has more than 50 buttons, on the steering wheel, on the screen, and on the dashboard.

Automakers claim infotainment systems are safer than cell phones and GPS devices.

"Automotive infotainment systems are designed to be used while driving, and the amount of time spent using them is comparable to adjusting the radio or the temperature. This is perfectly acceptable," said Wade Newton, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

In response, Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety research and advocacy, said drivers who tested 30 2017 model year vehicles lost focus and took their hands off the wheel to use infotainment systems. They used voice commands, touchscreens, and other interactive technologies to make calls, send text messages, adjust the radio, or change songs while driving.

Clearly, manufacturers haven’t paid much attention to making them easy to use, Nelson added. The test found that 23 of the 30 drivers were highly or highly distracted, while seven were moderately distracted.

Selecting a destination on a GPS navigation system is the most distracting task. On average, it takes drivers 40 seconds to complete. For example, if the car is moving at 40 km/h, 40 seconds is enough to drive the car across 4 football fields. Meanwhile, many previous studies have shown that just 2 seconds of driver distraction doubles the risk of an accident.

Under pressure, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a voluntary safety guide for infotainment systems in 2012. The guide encouraged automakers to disable the GPS destination setting function while the car was in motion. However, it still worked on 12 2017 model-year vehicles tested by AAA.

According to AAA, drivers should only use infotainment systems when necessary, and called on automakers to block distracting features while the vehicle is moving.

Nearly 70% of US adults say they want new technology in their cars, but only 24% find it truly satisfying, according to an opinion survey conducted by AAA.

"Drivers want infotainment systems that are safe and easy to use, but today's cars have so many features that drivers find them complicated and frustrating," said Marshall L. Doney, CEO of AAA.

According to Zing