Voice-activated smartphones and dashboard infotainment systems may be making drivers even more distracted, new studies have found.
The systems let drivers tune the radio, send a text message, or make a phone call while keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel – but many are so error-prone or complex that they require more concentration rather than less, say the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the University of Utah.
One study examined info-tainment systems in some of the most common carmakers, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai and Mercedes. The second study tested the Apple iPhone’s Siri voice system to navigate, send texts, make Facebook and Twitter posts, and use the calendar without handling or looking at the phone.
Apple and Google are working with carmakers to integrate smartphones with infotainment systems so that drivers can bring their apps, navigation and music files into their cars.
The systems with the worst ratings were those that made errors even though drivers’ voice commands were clear and distinct
The voice-activated systems were graded on a distraction scale of 1-5, with one representing no distraction and five comparable to doing complex maths problems and word memorisation.
The systems were tested by 162 university students and other volunteers in three settings: a laboratory, a driving simulator and in cars while driving.
Apple’s Siri received the worst rating, 4.14. Twice test drivers using Siri in a driving simulator rear-ended another car.
Chevrolet’s MyLink received the worst rating, 3.7, among the infotainment systems. Infotainment systems from three other makers – Mercedes, Ford and Chrysler – also were rated more distracting for drivers than simply talking on a hand-held mobile phone.
Apple noted that researchers did not use the company’s CarPlay or Siri Eyes Free, which are designed for use in cars. But David Strayer, the University of Utah psychology professor who led the two studies, said researchers consulted Apple before beginning the study.
The study used an iOS 7 version of Siri that was tweaked to be nearly identical to the iOS 8 version, which was just recently released, he said.
The systems with the worst ratings were those that made errors even though drivers’ voice commands were clear and distinct, said Strayer. Drivers had to concentrate on exactly what words they wanted to use and in what order to get the systems to follow their commands, creating a great deal of frustration. Siri sometimes garbled text messages or selected wrong phone numbers from personal phonebooks.
The studies contradict claims by car makers, who have been pitching the voice systems to buyers as a way they can safely enjoy social media and connectivity because they are incorporated into the vehicle and are hands-free.
Two of the infotainment systems were rated relatively low for distraction. Toyota’s Entune received a 1.7, the distraction equivalent of listening to an audiobook, and Hyundai’s Blue Lin Telematic System received a 2.2.