Research highlights driver touchscreen dangers

Using vehicle ‘infotainment’ touchscreens while on the move is a bigger impairment to driver reaction times than driving under the influence of alcohol or cannabis, according to research carried out by TRL.

The internationally-respected automotive research organisation was commissioned to carry out a study into the impact of infotainment systems on driving by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, international motorsport and automotive mobility body FIA, and Rees Jeffreys Road Fund.

Researchers found that drivers were taking their eyes off the road for as long as 16 seconds at a time, and that using touchscreen functions rather than switches resulted in reaction times that were even longer than when drivers were texting.

Stopping distances, lane control and response to external stimuli all worsened when drivers were using Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The increases in reaction time were significant. ‘Normal’ reaction times were in the order of one second.

This increased by 12 per cent if a driver was on the English legal drink-driving limit, and by 27 per cent if they were using a handsfree phone.

But the report suggested that the completion of certain tasks using Android Auto voice control increased reaction times by 30 per cent, Apple CarPlay voice control by 36 per cent, Android Auto touch control by 53 per cent and Apple CarPlay touch control by 57 per cent.

Meanwhile, driving under the influence of cannabis increased reaction times by 21 per cent, texting by 35 per cent, and using a handheld phone by 46 per cent.

Drivers using Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for navigation also reportedly deviated from their lane position by 0.53 and 0.5 metres respectively.

The research may be worrying reading for some in the truck industry, as new-model trucks from leading manufacturers have moved to using touchscreen ‘virtual cockpits’ in place of conventional fixed and mechanical switches.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart’s director of policy and research, said: “While we would like to see a review of these systems in the future, we would encourage owners of vehicles fitted with these systems to use them in the safest possible way, including setting everything up before starting a journey.

“Individuals driving for work are just as at risk as the general public, so we would also encourage employers to review their advice and policies in light of this research,” he added.

The tests were conducted on a driving simulator. Subjects completed a series of three drives on the same simulated test route to assess the level of impact of the systems.

On the first run, drivers did not interact with the system. On subsequent runs, drivers interacted with the system using voice control only and then using touch control only. Both methods of control were found to significantly distract drivers; however, touchscreen control proved the more distracting of the two.

One test subject said of Android Auto: “As a professional – I’m an LGV driver – I was pretty alarmed at how distracting it was. It certainly felt it was a few seconds at a time, but it was probably a lot longer.”