As car designers and manufacturers work tirelessly to invent ways to make driving safer, there seems to be one part of every new car that is only getting more dangerous for drivers.
With each update, car makers seem to be trying to endlessly top their competition’s infotainment consoles with bigger and more complex digital systems. But it’s not assisting drivers so much as it’s overcomplicating the basic things a driver wants to do.
“New systems are making it easier to be distracted”
Instead of pushing the radio on with one button, some new cars have a user tap multiple buttons on their infotainment screen to get to the radio application. Gone are the days of memorizing the exact location and feeling of the volume knob and being able to deftly turn it without looking, now that every “button” is just a 2D square on a flat screen. Without tactile buttons, every process forces the driver to look away from the road; distracting their eyes, hands, and mind simultaneously and increasing their risk of a collision.
Instead of controlling your air vents with a physical knob on the vent itself, some new cars’ vents can only be controlled digitally, by tapping a series of buttons on the infotainment screen and dragging the digital image of the vent with your finger to direct air flow. Climate control is now hidden within other folders in your system, so what used to be a one-touch action is taking two or three taps, not to mention loading time.
Are these new features improving the driving experience, or are car companies just innovating for innovation’s sake? Do these updated systems actually make driving more dangerous?
A new study from safety group 'I am Road Smart' suggests these bigger, elaborate infotainment systems have more of an effect on driver distraction and reaction times than alcohol, cannabis, or texting from a smartphone.
“we had thought that using a car’s integrated large screen would be safer than a small phone in a cradle, but this did not turn out to be the case”
Car makers may be optimistically thinking that drivers will only be using the car’s screens while they are parked, but this is a willful oversight of driver behavior. Nobody is going to find a parking spot and pull over just to adjust their air vents or change their drive mode from eco to sport. So, drivers are operating these systems while driving. Why aren’t they designed primarily for safety?
According to 'I am Road Smart,' a focused driver’s reaction time is typically within one second. Having 0.08% blood-alcohol increases this reaction time by 12% and using a hand-held phone increases it by 46%. Touching the infotainment screen to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto increases driver reaction times by 53-57%. Drivers were therefore distracted for 11-16 seconds – more than enough time for a serious accident to occur.
Controlling the vehicle’s position in the lane and keeping a consistent speed and headway to the vehicle in front suffered significantly when interacting with either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, particularly when using touch control
In the United States alone, “324,652 people were hurt in distracted driving crashes in 2020.” The best way to protect yourself is to set up your driving experience before you start driving, while parked in a safe area. Set the air con, maps, music, and drive mode before setting off, and don’t touch any screens again until you park.
Additionally, like how your cell phone likely comes equipped with a “do not disturb while driving” mode, some cars offer similar muting capabilities for their infotainment screens – such as Lincoln’s Calm view.
Always be aware while driving and never underestimate the importance of keeping your eyes on the road.
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