Touchscreens In Vehicles Lead To Distraction While Driving & May Increase Accidents: Report
Listening to your own music playlist in a car over good speakers is an adrenaline rush few can deny. But one cannot deny that trying to navigate to your favourite song or doing anything on the vehicle touchscreen while driving is a major distraction. Now, a report has proved just that, saying that in-vehicle touchscreens increase distraction risk.
Listening to your own music playlist in a car over good speakers is an adrenaline rush few can resist. However, it's undeniable that attempting to navigate to your favorite song or engaging with the vehicle's touchscreen while driving poses a significant distraction. Now, a report has proved just that, saying that touchscreens increase distraction risk.
Button-operated functions more user friendly than touchscreen
A report from both ARSTechnica and EuroNCAP, an automotive safety testing organization, highlights that Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) heavily rely on central touchscreens to manage almost all vehicle features.
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The findings of the report indicate that touchscreens contribute to an increased risk of distraction, as they require drivers to divert their attention from the road. Often, this distraction is prolonged, increasing the potential for accidents.
This growing safety concern is now prompting discussions about incorporating it into car crash testing protocols.
The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) has suggested the possibility of implementing controlled adjustments by the year 2026.
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According to Matthew Avery, Euro NCAP's Director of Strategy, physical controls, such as button operations, are deemed more user-friendly for essential functions.
In-vehicle touchscreens lead to distracted driving
Attorney Steven Goldberg from Steinberg Law Firm states that the rising integration of technology in vehicles is contributing to an increase in accidents resulting from distracted driving.
In a test conducted by Vi Bil?gare, one of Sweden's largest automobile magazines, 11 recent-model vehicles equipped with touchscreens were compared to a 2005 Volvo V70, which had traditional knobs and buttons.
The objective was to assess the amount of time drivers diverted their attention from the road while performing various in-vehicle tasks.
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It was found that the 2005 Volvo V70 outperformed the touchscreen-equipped vehicles, with the driver reporting no difficulties in completing the tasks.
In contrast, drivers using touchscreens took more than 20 seconds to accomplish the same task list, highlighting the potential drawbacks of touchscreen interfaces in terms of driver distraction.
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