A study by the University of Utah, which is called the AAA Foundation for Traffic Study appeared to prove using technology in a car, such as hands-free calling, hands-free texting and voice-activated programs, still distracts drivers.
The study appears to show technology designed to keep a person's eyes on the road and hands on the wheel don't cure distracted driving.
Lloyd P. Albert, AAA Southern New England senior vice president of public and government affairs, said in a prepared release, “It’s time to consider limiting new and potentially dangerous mental distractions that are built into cars, especially since there’s a common public misperception that hands-free means risk-free.”
The study, released by the AAA Wednesday in a press release, showed that combining technology with driving rated a level "3" for distraction, which AAA called an "extensive risk."
By way of comparison, a radio was rated a minor risk at level "1," and talking on a cell phone, hands-free or not, was a level "2," distraction, the study showed.
Researchers mounted cameras around the car to watch eye and head movements, they measured reaction times, and used skull caps to measure brain activity.
The research showed people see fewer visual cues, such as traffic lights and pedestrians, when working with in-car technology. It showed brain function slowed and reaction time slowed.
Despite the best technology, people are distracted.
AAA found this particularly disturbing, because "infotainment" devices are expected to expand "five fold," by 2018, and the AAA called that a possible, "public safety crisis."
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