Using Apple CarPlay impairs driver reaction more than alcohol, study shows

AppleInsider

U.K. based road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has released a study showing how in-vehicle infotainment systems can substantially impair driver's reaction times -- even more than alcohol and cannabis.

Independent consultant company TRL conducted the study on behalf of IAM RoadSmart and the Rees Jefferys Road Fund. The study was conducted to gain insight into how a console infotainment system may impair a driver's reaction time.

The test involved two experimental trials focusing on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Twenty Android and twenty Apple users would be subjected to the same simulated test route. Each driver drove three times: A control drive, where they did not interact with the system, a voice-enabled drive where they used the voice system only, and a touch-enabled drive, where they used the touch screen of the system only.

As part of the test, users would be required to follow another car, navigate an erratic motorway, and perform a figure-eight loop. During these tests, users would be told to perform a task, such as accessing music on Spotify, input data into a navigation app, or read texts and take phone calls.

Additionally, participants would be asked to flash their headlights whenever a red bar appeared on the screen, which measured their reaction time to external events.

Image Credit: IAM RoadSmart

Regardless of the infotainment system, all users showed significantly slowed reaction time. Undistracted drivers typically showed a one-second reaction time. Those who used the voice-controlled Apple CarPlay saw a 36% increase in their reaction time, which rose to 57% when they used the touch interface.

Android Auto users faired only slightly better-- a 30% increase in reaction time when using voice control, and 53% when using touch controls.

For comparison, those who drive under the influence at the drink-drive limit showed a 12% increase in reaction time, and those who used cannabis saw a 21% increase.

Those who used Android Auto saw a 1.73-foot (0.53-meter) deviation on their lane positioning when performing navigation tasks with Android Auto. Those who used Apple CarPlay saw a deviation of 1.64 feet (0.50 meters.)

The report states that participants showed significant difficulty in controlling the vehicle's speed and position whenever they interfaced with an infotainment system. Participants also failed to react consistently to awareness checks when engaging with touch-based systems.

Both Android and Apple infotainment systems required users to take their eyes off the road for longer than the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommended guidelines. Study participants underestimated the time they spent looking away from the road when engaging with touch controls by up to 5 seconds.

Due to the results of the study, IAM RoadSmart is calling on industry and government to openly test and approve all infotainment systems and develop consistent standards that will help minimize driver distraction.

Apple introduced CarPlay in 2014 as a way to get the most out of a supported infotainment system. Since then, Apple has added to the system with navigation improvements, support for Settings and Calendar, and support for "Hey, Siri." More improvements are expected in iOS 14, with a new wallpaper API and the ability to use Siri to find locations based on seating availability, IMAX showings, or children discounts."

Rayz2016

Survey brought to you courtesy of Captain Obvious.

I imagine that most people start the car, start a playlist, and then don't interact with it for the rest of the journey.

mr lizard

No drivers should be interacting with the touch screen of their car whilst the vehicle is in motion, especially to choose music. 

Use voice, or pull over. 

wood1208

More testing of infotainment will force car manufacturers to offer standard features like larger 8"+ and sharper/bright infotainment screen for less distracted viewing of important information while driving, better voice based control for less distraction and allow only voice based control(disable some touch based functions) when car is in motion..

ihatescreennames

I’m somewhat skeptical of reports like this. Not that they’re entirely wrong but I feel they aren’t real world tests.

Years ago Myth Busters did something similar. If I recall correctly it was a comparison of talking on a cell phone to driving while intoxicated. But the cell phone part was fairly ridiculous in that they had to be doing math problems in their head and giving the answer in a certain amount of seconds while also driving through the road course they had set up (that might not be accurate but gives an idea of what it was like). 

In my experience when something on the road demands my attention while I’m on a call then the call immediately takes a back seat (no pun intended) and my focus is on the road. Likewise, if I’m in moderate to heavy traffic I’m paying attention to traffic and not fiddling with CarPlay or making Siri requests. I notice similar behavior when I’m on a call with somebody else who is driving. Sometimes they just stop talking for a few seconds and then apologize saying that, say, someone ahead was braking hard or some car was swerving.

To make it at least a little more realistic the people who are intoxicated and driving should also need to accomplish some sort of task.

That being said, my wife’s car has CarPlay but doesn’t have a touch screen. The only way to interact is with the dial on the center console. I recently rented a Ford Fusion that had CarPlay with a touch screen. I found it much more distracting to use the touch screen than it is to use the dial in my wife’s car.

This is the part that makes it unrealistic:

AppleInsider said:

As part of the test, users would be required to follow another car, navigate an erratic motorway, and perform a figure-eight loop. During these tests, users would be told to perform a task, such as accessing music on Spotify, input data into a navigation app, or read texts and take phone calls. 

LoneStar88

The test was ridiculous. For how many uncounted decades now have people been doing themselves/others in with distracted/under-the-inbluence/just-plain-stupid driving practices?!!! Just like gun control initiatives, no amount of legislation/restrictions/rules will make people "good" or make drivers "safe".

It just comes down to individuals, if they buy "tech package" cars, to learn how to use/drive them safely on their own; learn how to competently control them while not running into anything/anyone!! Duoh!!

Dsilverman

CarPlay has some odd restrictions in the way it works. You can't, for example, scroll through your entire list of playlists when in motion - just a few. Its restrictions sometimes make it MORE distracting.

mazda 3s

In general I found touch screens to be a distraction because I have to lift my hand and point. I much prefer the rotary knob in my Audi A4 with CarPlay, because my hand rests in a natural position on the center console and I can just scroll left or right and click. Wish they hadn't bowed to pressure and switched to the touch screen in the 2020 refresh.

randominternetperson

I hope the research article pointed out that a drunk driver is drunk 100% of the time they are driving while a distracted driver has the option about when to be distracted.  

There's a reason Apple doesn't market Apple Play to NASCAR and Formula 1 drivers.

bsimpsen

randominternetperson said:

I hope the research article pointed out that a drunk driver is drunk 100% of the time they are driving while a distracted driver has the option about when to be distracted.

Yet the drivers in the tests chose to be distracted during the test, thereby producing the stated results.

randominternetperson said:

There's a reason Apple doesn't market Apple Play to NASCAR and Formula 1 drivers.

Or course there is, but you haven't elucidated it.

hammeroftruth

So being high has a better reaction time than not high and using the touch screen?

What if you’re high and need CarPlay to show you where to get cookies?

All kidding aside, there are still more people using their phone to text while driving than there are people using CarPlay without Siri. 

Just take a look at other drivers around you at a  stoplight.

lkrupp

Ooooo, the lawyer's phones are ringing off the hook! "CarPlay KILLED my son! Apple, you bastards!"  /s (but only slightly)

randominternetperson

bsimpsen said:

randominternetperson said:

I hope the research article pointed out that a drunk driver is drunk 100% of the time they are driving while a distracted driver has the option about when to be distracted.

Yet the drivers in the tests chose to be distracted during the test, thereby producing the stated results.

randominternetperson said:

There's a reason Apple doesn't market Apple Play to NASCAR and Formula 1 drivers.

Or course there is, but you haven't elucidated it.

Nonsense. The drivers in the test did not “choose” to be distracted.  They were instructed to distract themselves. Fiddling with non-essentials while in challenging driving situations is irresponsible, period. As is driving while intoxicated. 

Perhaps they’ll also test how well people drive while mediating disputes among kids in the back seat.

rob53

I'd like to see shaving, eating burgers, putting makeup on, drinking gallon sizes of sugar-free Pepsi, drinking coffee while also smoking and having a dog in your lap included in the list. All of these reduce the ability of the driver to drive safely, requiring at least one hand to perform the task that should be done while not driving. What about cops and all their distracted driving looking at their computers trying to find someone they can ticket. There will always be a survey that attacks some product someone doesn't like. Of course this was done in the UK, home of the skinniest roads in the world. 

Beats

Not surprised. Until Apple has full control of CarPlay hardware there will be issues.

WarrenBuffduckh

Thx. Due to my particular interaction with Siri this impIies I can drink an significant lot of alcohol (that I progressively need because of it...)

larryjw

ihatescreennames said:

I’m somewhat skeptical of reports like this. Not that they’re entirely wrong but I feel they aren’t real world tests.

Years ago Myth Busters did something similar. If I recall correctly it was a comparison of talking on a cell phone to driving while intoxicated. But the cell phone part was fairly ridiculous in that they had to be doing math problems in their head and giving the answer in a certain amount of seconds while also driving through the road course they had set up (that might not be accurate but gives an idea of what it was like). 

In my experience when something on the road demands my attention while I’m on a call then the call immediately takes a back seat (no pun intended) and my focus is on the road. Likewise, if I’m in moderate to heavy traffic I’m paying attention to traffic and not fiddling with CarPlay or making Siri requests. I notice similar behavior when I’m on a call with somebody else who is driving. Sometimes they just stop talking for a few seconds and then apologize saying that, say, someone ahead was braking hard or some car was swerving.

To make it at least a little more realistic the people who are intoxicated and driving should also need to accomplish some sort of task.

That being said, my wife’s car has CarPlay but doesn’t have a touch screen. The only way to interact is with the dial on the center console. I recently rented a Ford Fusion that had CarPlay with a touch screen. I found it much more distracting to use the touch screen than it is to use the dial in my wife’s car.

This is the part that makes it unrealistic:

AppleInsider said:

As part of the test, users would be required to follow another car, navigate an erratic motorway, and perform a figure-eight loop. During these tests, users would be told to perform a task, such as accessing music on Spotify, input data into a navigation app, or read texts and take phone calls. 

I generally agree. But, it's realistic in that 50% of drivers using such devices are morons.

Just last week, was driving with a woman on my tail, one handed, with the other hand talking the phone. Not for a few moments but for 10-15 minutes. She was, probably still is, an accident waiting to happen. Not only did I have to watch the road in front of me, but had to be aware of that if I needed to make any adjustment due to conditions on the road, she would rear-end me with 100% certainty. 

kurai_kage

Nobody mentioned Tesla and while they have a huge screen, autopilot is typically available.  I feel much better about grabbing a drink or taking a handsfree call while the car is driving and I'm only supervising it.  The few times I've felt that I needed to interact with the screen (manually switch on headlights for roads that advise it), I quickly switch the car to autopilot before doing so.

tronald

Touch screens are indeed a serious problem. Knobs are so much better for navigating screen elements while driving since you are only using quick visuals for confirmation rather than as part of a more difficult hand-eye coordination problem. 

This is the one huge downside of my Tesla versus my previous car which was a BMW with CarPlay and a knob. The CarPlay interaction through the knob was far less of an issue. Also, Siri works an almost comical amount better than Tesla's voice recognition. What Tesla (Model 3 and Y anyway) does improve on to some degree is that the placement of the touchscreen is higher, larger, and easier to reach than in most other cars, so you are looking more to the side to see it than you are looking down and to the side and not squinting. 

foregoneconclusion

So the worst case scenario for reaction time is 1.57 seconds instead of 1 second? 

applguy

Imagine comparing with distractions drivers had 30 years ago... read a map, change cassette, fast forward cassette to find the song you want, rewind because you went to far, look at pager, manually roll down windows. There have always been driver distractions. The outcome of this test was obvious before it began.