Hands-free technologies might make it easier for motorists to text,
talk on the phone, or even use Facebook while they drive, but new
findings from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety show dangerous
mental distractions exist even when drivers keep their hands on the
wheel and their eyes on the road.
The research found that as
mental workload and distractions increase reaction time slows, brain
function is compromised, drivers scan the road less and miss visual
cues, potentially resulting in drivers not seeing items right in front
of them including stop signs and pedestrians. This is the most
comprehensive study of its kind to look at the mental distraction of
drivers and arms AAA with evidence to appeal to the public to not use
these voice-to-text features while their vehicle is in motion.
With
a predicted five-fold increase in infotainment systems in new vehicles
by 2018, AAA is calling for action as result of this landmark research.
“There is a looming public safety crisis ahead with the future
proliferation of these in-vehicle technologies,” said AAA President and
CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. “It’s time to consider limiting new and
potentially dangerous mental distractions built into cars, particularly
with the common public misperception that hands-free means risk-free.”
Cognitive
distraction expert Dr. David Strayer and his research team at the
University of Utah measured brainwaves, eye movement and other metrics
to assess what happens to drivers’ mental workload when they attempt to
do multiple things at once, building upon decades of research in the
aerospace and automotive industries. The research included:
- Cameras mounted inside an instrumented car to track eye and head movement of drivers.
- A Detection-Response-Task device known as the “DRT” was used to record driver reaction time in response to triggers of red and green lights added to their field of vision.
- A special electroencephalographic (EEG)-configured skull cap was used to chart participants’ brain activity so that researchers could determine mental workload.
