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Why in-vehicle infotainment systems should be used with caution

Almost All new cArs now feature dashboard consoles that allow us to make calls , send texts , control music , navigate and more . They might make life easier , but giving drivers more ways to engage in non-driving activities — even hands-free — can impact their ability to safely operate a vehicle .

“ We can ’ t assume that technology , even hands-free technology , is risk-free . There ’ s a cost associated with it ,” says Dr . David Strayer , cognitive psychologist and director of the Center for the Prevention of Distracted Driving at the

By Bonnie stAring

University of Utah . Strayer recently led an AAA-funded study that looked at the visual and mental demands placed on drivers as they completed tasks using in-vehicle infotainment systems ( IVIS ).

The tasks , conducted in 30 different 2017 vehicles , included managing audio entertainment , placing calls , receiving and sending text messages , and navigating . Regardless of car or computer system , each activity had an impact on drivers ’ mental workload , taking their attention away from the road .

This “ inattentional blindness ” not only increased with IVIS use , but there was also a carryover period between performing a task and reacquiring full awareness of the road .

Drivers also found some vehicle systems more cumbersome to use than others . The worst offenders caused frustration and thus even greater distraction . Every system imposed at least a moderate — and in some cases up to a very high — demand on drivers ’ attention . None were low-demand .

Auto manufacturers appear to recognize that some tasks , even if performed hands-free , can ’ t be safely done while driving . “ A lot of times you ’ ll get a popup message saying , ‘ It ’ s not safe to use this feature while the vehicle is moving ’,” Strayer says . But in most cases you don ’ t have to be parked for the functionality to become available ; it works as soon as you come to a stoplight . If you send a message while waiting at an intersection , you ’ ll still be distracted when that light turns green .

So how can dashboard computers be used safely ? Car buyers should look at how a vehicle ’ s IVIS works while at the dealership , then spend some time gaining familiarity with it at home . And of course , only use the system before you leave or once you reach your destination . “ We can all avoid distractions behind the wheel just by making that decision ourselves ,” says Jeff Kasbrick , vice-president of government and stakeholder relations for AMA . “ Your safety and that of everyone else around you relies on it .”

With ever-flashier features appearing on the dashboards of new cars , Strayer hopes manufacturers will start to give greater thought to which infotainmentsystem functions should — rather than could — be usable when a car is moving . For now , it ’ s up to drivers to proceed with caution and use them wisely .

16 Summer 2018

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