Chevrolet’s recent announcement that Wi-Fi would now be available in their vehicles has some people excited and others a bit worried.
As distracted driving has caused hundreds of thousands of motor vehicle accidents, it may have been wiser for auto manufacturers to disconnect drivers rather than give them more reason to be distracted. Despite the manufacturers assurance that these systems are hands-free, two studies are claiming that some of these infotainment systems are distracting drivers more than ever before.
Studies released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the University of Utah revealed that some of these systems were so prone to errors or complex to use that they required more concentration from drivers.
In one study, drivers used infotainment systems in five different auto brands. In a second study, drivers used Apples Siri to navigate, send texts, make posts on Facebook and Twitter, and update the calendar
The systems were tested by 162 university students and other volunteers using driving simulators and real-life situations. The systems were rated on a distracted scale of one to five, with five being considered the most distracting.
Apples Siri did the worst and received a rating of 4.14. During testing, two drivers in a driving simulator rear-ended another car while using Siri. Chevrolets MyLink infotainment system had the worst rating out of five automakers. Four out of five of the automakers systems were rated as more distracting than being on a hand-held phone. One of the better infotainment systems was found on Toyota’s Entune, which received a 1.7 on the distraction scale.
The systems with the worst ratings were those that made the most errors despite the drivers commands. A driver may be distracted while trying to fix the error or complete the task.
Although vehicle and smartphone manufacturers claim that their devices can be used hands-free, their inability to properly perform the tasks are becoming a problem. Unfortunately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations guidelines for dashboard systems and other voice-activated systems are voluntary. Additionally, all the new laws passed against cellphone use and texting and driving only cover mobile devices.
Have you or someone you love been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver? Did you know that victims of these accidents may be eligible to file a claim for compensation?
At the law offices of O’Connor, Acciani & Levy, our Cincinnati personal injury lawyers can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.