Toyota Wins, Apple Loses in Major Study of Distracted Driving

Few voice-activated, handsfree driving systems are looking good Tuesday after AAA released a major study that accuses them all of increasing our levels of distraction behind the wheel

The least distracting in-car system, it turns out, is Toyota's Entune. The most distracting: Chevy's MyLink. And the absolute worst offender when it comes to voice-activated systems that overtax our brains? Apple's Siri.

See also: 6 Tech Tools to Tackle Distracted Driving

The study, named "Mental Workload of Common Voice-Based Vehicle Interactions across Six Different Vehicle Systems" [PDF], didn't skimp when it came to measuring distracted driving. It stuck 36 participants (18 male, 18 female) behind the wheels of six cars with voice-activated infotainment systems, asking them to perform multiple tasks and navigate a nine-minute driving course. It pointed cameras at the drivers, measured their brain activity and heart rate, had a researcher in the passenger seat evaluate their reactions, and asked the drivers themselves to fill out a questionnaire afterwards. Read more...

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