AAA: Hands-free device doesn't equal safe driving

AURORA, Ill. (WABC) -- With three out of four drivers believing that hands-free technology is safe to use, Americans may be surprised to learn that these popular new vehicle features may actually increase distraction, according to new research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

This research can serve as strategic guidance to manufacturers that increasingly market hands-free systems as safety features. The good news for consumers is that it is possible to design hands-free technologies that are less cognitively distracting, according to the research.

The results suggest that developers can improve the safety of their products by making them less complicated, more accurate and generally easier to use.

AAA encourages drivers to limit the use of most voice-based technologies.

The study found the accuracy of voice recognition software significantly influences the rate of distraction. Systems with low accuracy and reliability generated a high level of distraction.

Composing text messages and emails using in-vehicle technologies was more distracting than using these systems to listen to messages, the study found.

The quality of the systems' voice had no impact on distraction levels - listening to a natural or synthetic voice both rated as a lower level of distraction, the study found.

The research also separately assessed Apple's Siri using the same metrics to measure a broader range of tasks, including updating Facebook and Twitter. By looking at these frequently used features, researchers uncovered that hands-and eyes-free use of Apple's Siri generated a high level of distraction - the highest level that researchers have uncovered to date.

To put all of this year's findings in context, last year's research revealed that listening to the radio rated as a very low distraction; talking on a hand-held or hands-free cell phone resulted in a low distraction; and using an error-free speech-to-text system to listen to and compose emails or texts was a medium distraction.

To assess "real-world" impact, Dr. Joel Cooper with Precision Driving Research evaluated the two most common voice-based interactions in which drivers engage - changing radio stations and voice dialing - with the actual voice-activated systems found in six different automakers' vehicles. On the five point scale, Toyota's Entune system garnered the lowest distraction ranking (at 1.7), which is similar to listening to an audio book. In comparison, the Chevrolet MyLink resulted in a very high level of distraction (rating of 3.7). Other systems tested included the Hyundai Blue Link (rating 2.2), the Chrysler Uconnect (rating 2.7), the Ford SYNC (rating 3.0) and the Mercedes COMMAND (rating 3.1).

To view the full report, "Measuring Cognitive Distraction in the Vehicle II: Assessing In-Vehicle Voice-based Interactive Technologies," and other materials on distracted driving, visit NewsRoom.AAA.com.