Hands-free is not risk-free, AAA study says
Even while using hands-free technologies, drivers can remain distracted from the road for nearly 30 seconds after dialing a phone number, dictating a text message or skipping to the next song on a playlist, according to a new AAA report.
The study of the residual effects of mental distraction while driving, conducted by testing the hands-free technologies in 10 cars and three types of smartphones, shows that "new hands-free technologies can mentally distract drivers even if their eyes are on the road and their hands are on the wheel," AAA said.
"The lasting effects of mental distraction pose a hidden and pervasive danger that would likely come as a surprise to most drivers," Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said in a statement. "The results indicate that most motorists could miss stop signs, pedestrians or other vehicles while the mind is readjusting to the task of driving."
In the worst performing system, the study showed that "potentially unsafe levels of mental distraction" lasted 27 seconds after the driver completed the task. In the best performing system, the driver remained distracted for 15 seconds.
The best performing system among those tested was that in the Chevy Equinox, which received a distraction rating of 2.4 — roughly comparable to talking on the phone, according to AAA. Popular voice-activated systems such as Google Now, Apple's Siri and Microsoft Cortana scored 3.0, 3.4 and 3.8, respectively, falling in the "high distraction" category. The worst performing system tested was that in the Mazda 6, which fell into the "very high distraction" category.
"The massive increase in voice-activated technologies in cars and phones represents a growing safety problem for drivers," Lloyd Albert, senior vice president of public and government affairs for AAA Northeast, said in a statement. "The reality is that mental distractions persist and can affect driver attention even after the light turns green."
Earlier this month, members of the Transportation Committee expressed their support for legislation that would require Massachusetts drivers to use only hands-free cell phone technology.
In 2010, the state passed a law making it illegal to read, type or send electronic messages from behind the wheel, but allowed drivers to continue using cellphones and did not require the use of hands-free devices.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo said this month that technology was "a whole lot different" when lawmakers approved a law banning texting while driving and said he's "open" to hearing from those who are pushing for a ban on handheld devices among drivers in an effort to make the state's roads safer.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments