Hands-free devices are often claimed as a solution to the nation’s growing distracted driving crisis, but recent research suggests these gadgets may actually be accentuating the problem rather than solving it.
A study commissioned recently by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that drivers who use voice-to-text messaging technology are more distracted than drivers who make calls by using handheld cellphones. Now, Voice-to-text systems are being built into some new vehicles as car manufacturers look for ways to eradicate potential sources of distracted driving.
According to the study, using a voice-to-text arrangement creates a “large” amount of mental distraction for drivers, contrary to the “moderate” or “significant” level of distraction caused by talking on a handheld cellphone. Listening to music or other audio recordings resulted in a “small” amount of mental diversion, researchers found.
According to the research team that carried out the AAA study at the University of Utah, hands-free texting systems eliminate some distractions yet at the same time replace them with new ones. Even though voice-to-text technology may help drivers keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, these systems may actually worsen drivers’ impairment by distracting too much of their attention and mental energy from the task of driving.
By measuring drivers’ eye and head movements, brain function and response times while exposing them to a variety of potential distractions, researchers discovered that interacting with voice-activated texting systems was more cognitively distracting than either listening to the radio or talking on a handheld cellphone. According to the report, Drivers employing voice-to-text systems were less focused and more likely to miss potential hazards on the road in front of them.
Source:
http://www.kindletechno.com/hands-free-devices-a-bane-or-boon-for-drivers.html