My wife has a fairly new Buick Regal and it has so many gadgets on the dash it
is hard to find what I am looking for. I seldom drive her car, as I drive my old GMC
pickup, but when I do I am distracted trying to find what knob to turn, push, pull,
etc. So I agree with this article completely.
Hands-free devices can be more distracting than holding a phone, study says
Just because you can talk to your car doesn't mean you should. Two new studies have found that voice-activated smartphones and dashboard infotainment systems, though hands-free, may be more distracting than picking up your phone.
In-dash phone systems are overly complicated and prone to errors, the study by AAA and the University of Utah found, and the same is true of voice-activated functions for music and navigation.
And a companion study found that using Siri -- the voice control system on Apple phones -- while driving was dangerously distracting. Two participants in the study had virtual crashes in an automotive simulator while attempting to use Siri.
"We already know that drivers can miss stop signs, pedestrians and other cars while using voice technologies," said Bob Darbelnet of AAA. "We now understand that current shortcomings in products intended as safety features may unintentionally cause greater levels of cognitive distraction."
// see the rest below //
http://www.mercuryne...an?source=email
