New AAA study: hands-free phones still a major driving distraction

When I was out in California in April I rode in my friend's new Tesla, a seriously impressive vehicle. But I was absolutely floored when I found out the Internet was right at my fingertips, connected below the dashboard. Something didn't seem right about that.

What about voice activated technology? Surely that's better than holding a phone and punching digits and numbers on a keyboard while driving your car along I-275, right? The report says this:

Based on the rating system created, for example, we can state that driver interaction with speech‐to‐text systems — long a concern of researchers and safety advocates — does indeed create a greater demand on cognitive resources than does listening to the radio or even conversing on a handheld or hands‐free cell phone, the latter of which have been shown to quadruple crash risk. This is particularly troubling given the
popularity of these systems, their projected growth in the immediate future, and the rapidly‐developing capabilities they have. This study provides the best evidence to date that even if drivers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, it may not be enough to keep them safe. Despite current public perceptions and the lack of legislative or regulatory actions, use of in‐vehicle infotainment systems appears to be the most distracting cognitive task that drivers can perform, and automakers, consumers, policymakers, and others would be wise to consider these findings before continuing the rush to implement or adopt these technologies.

Based on their research, AAA is calling on the the automotive and electronics industries to join them in exploring the following options:

Limiting the use of voice-activated technology to core driving-related activities such as climate control, windshield wipers and cruise control, and to ensure these applications do not lead to increased safety risk due to mental distraction while the car is moving.
Disabling certain functionalities of voice-to-text technologies such as using social media or interacting with e-mail and text messages so that they are inoperable while the vehicle is in motion.
Educating vehicle owners and mobile device users about the responsible use and safety risks for in-vehicle technologies.

Back to Florida's new law on texting while driving. Fines for first-time offenders will be $30; subsequent offenders in a five-year period receive a $60 fine and three points against their driver’s license; text messaging in a school zone gets someone two points on their license; and causing a crash while illegally using a handheld communication device result in six points on a license.