Are handsfree devices still causing mental distraction?

Hands on the wheel and eyes on the road are popular phrases used by OEMs and suppliers alike when it comes to driver safety in the increasingly connected car, but recent research has detected that these aspects may still not be tackling driver distraction in the correct way. In fact, with three out of four US drivers believing that hands-free technology is safe to use, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety warns that many popular new vehicle features may actually increase mental distraction.

The research study, which builds on the research conducted by the foundation last year, is entitled “Measuring Cognitive Distraction in the Vehicle II: Assessing In-Vehicle Voice-based Interactive Technologies,” and looks at the in-car technologies which, while marketed to combat driver distraction, can actually increase it.