AAA cautions drivers on highest level of mental distraction
AAA Oklahoma, June 12, 2013 – New advanced hands-free technologies make it easier for motorists to text, talk on the phone, and use social media as they drive, but there’s a cost to this convenience: higher risk.
Today, AAA is releasing the most in-depth analysis to date of mental distractions behind the wheel. The study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that voice-activated in-car technologies can be even more dangerous than hands-free or handheld devices.
“Mental distractions are being built into cars,” said Chuck Mai, spokesman for AAA Oklahoma. “As a leader in driver safety, AAA believes this is creating a looming public safety crisis.”
In the study, drivers engaged in six common tasks, from talking on the phone to responding to voice-activated emails. Their brainwaves, eye movement, reaction time and other metrics were evaluated by researchers from the University of Utah.
Experts assessed what happens to drivers’ mental workload when they multi-task. This information was used to rate levels of mental distraction. Similar to the Saffir-Simpson scale used for hurricanes, three categories were created to measure level of mental distraction:
Category 1 includes tasks with minimal risk, such as listening to the radio.
Category 2 includes tasks with moderate risk. This includes talking on a cell-phone, both handheld and hands-free.
Category 3 includes tasks with extensive risk. This includes listening and responding to in-vehicle, voice-activated email features.
“These findings reinforce AAA’s position that hands-free is not risk-free,” said Mai. “Mental distractions create tunnel vision where motorists may not see hazards right in front of them.”
As a safety advocate, AAA will use the results of this study to promote dialogue about distracted driving with policymakers. This year, AAA Oklahoma supported several bills dealing with distracted driving, primarily text while driving, at the state capitol. However, none of the bills were successful. AAA has pledged to continue legislative efforts in 2014. AAA is using the findings of this Foundation study to encourage the automotive and electronics industries to not allow emerging in-car technologies to compromise public safety.
The study involved 102 drivers ranging in age from 18 to 36. To measure effects in controlled and real world settings, drivers were studied on both simulators and instrumented vehicles. Researchers used a generic system that captured the essential elements of hands-free technologies available on the market today.
A not-for-profit organization, AAA Oklahoma serves its 367,000 members across Oklahoma with emergency help on the road, auto travel assistance and a wide range of personal insurance, travel, financial and automotive services through branch offices, a regional operations center and the Internet at AAA.com.