Distraction danger rises with in-car tech, says TRL

The increasing sophistication of in-car technology is creating new dangers in terms of driver distraction, a new study finds.
By Mike Woof April 2, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
Driver concentration is an issue with systems such as Apple CarPlay, TRL finds (© Allard1 | Dreamstime.com)

The study, undertaken by TRL on behalf of IAM RoadSmart, the FIA and the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, aimed to evaluate the impact on driving performance of using in-vehicle infotainment systems such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

The research explored both voice and touch control, with both found to distract drivers – though touch control proved the more distracting of the two, making driver reactions even worse than when texting while driving.

Reaction times at motorway speeds increased average stopping distances to between four and five car lengths - and drivers took their eyes off the road for as long as 16 seconds while driving, the study found.

The results revealed that participants’ reaction times when engaging with either system were over 50% slower than normal. Stopping distances, lane control and response to external stimuli were all impaired.

Significantly, the participants’ reaction times were slower than someone who had used cannabis and five times worse than someone driving at the legal limit of alcohol consumption.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart's policy and research director, says: “While previous research indicates that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto perform better than more traditional buttons and controls, the results from this latest study raise some serious concerns about the development and use of the latest in-vehicle infotainment systems."

"Anything that distracts a driver’s eyes or mind from the road is bad news for road safety. We’re now calling on industry and government to openly test and approve such systems and develop consistent standards that genuinely help minimise driver distraction.”

GIS/ Mapping & Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Taking the long view of ITS
    March 24, 2015
    Caroline Visser believes the ITS industry must present a coherent case for consideration of the technology to become part of transport policy and planning. As ITS advisor and road finance director for the International Road Federation (IRF) in Geneva, Caroline Visser is well placed to evaluate quantifying the benefits of ITS implementation – a topic about which there is little agreement and even less consistency. She is pressing to get some consistency in the evaluation of ITS deployments through the use of
    Read More
  • The future of in-vehicle navigation systems
    February 3, 2012
    TRL's Alan Stevens looks at the evolution and future prospects of in-vehicle navigation devices. Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) plays a crucial role in the safety of vehicles on our roads. Until we achieve full automation (and that's a debatable prospect anyway) a driver's interaction with the vehicle - all the controls, information and systems - holds a pivotal role in safe driving.
    Read More
  • Dutch survey shows drivers are in favour of road user charging
    January 16, 2012
    'Keep it simple, stupid' is an oft-forgotten axiom but in terms of road user charging it is entirely appropriate. So says the ANWB's Ferry Smith. A couple of decades ago, it might have been largely true that the technology aspects of advanced road infrastructure were the main obstacles to deployment. However, 20 years or more of development have led to a situation where such 'obstacles' are often no more than a political fig-leaf. Area-wide Road User Charging (RUC) is a case in point; speak candidly to syst
    Read More
  • Speed reduction measures - carrot or stick?
    January 23, 2012
    In Sweden, marketing company DDB Stockholm employed a mock speed camera as part of a promotional campaign for automotive manufacturer Volkswagen. The result was worldwide online interest and promotion of the debate over excessive speed to the national level. A developing trend in traffic management policy is to look at how to induce road users to modify their behaviour by incentivising change rather than forcing it through the application of penalties. There have been several studies conducted into this; an
    Read More

Highlighted Content