A newly released study by AT&T reinforces the unfortunate and dangerous trend of driving and texting that shows no sign of stopping. The survey, released last Wednesday, found two-thirds of respondents said they have read text messages while stopped at a red light or stop sign, but more importantly a quarter have sent texts while driving. One in four of those who texted while driving also believe they “can easily do several things at once, even while driving”…
Now for the rest of the story…The AT&T study points to a fascinating and disturbing feature of human behavior:  98% of survey respondents said that sending a text or email wasn’t safe, but 49% of commuters self-reported doing it anyway.
This result comes in spite of all the public-service campaigns and laws against texting and driving. And it certainly reinforces the ability of humans to say one thing and do another – though that isn’t exactly news.
What is news is a newer tech-related peril on the road: Voice-activated software. Originally viewed as an answer to achieving hands-free driving, voice-activated software is now a growing cause of driver distraction and threat to driver safety, according to a recent study by AAA .
Voice-activated software has been touted as a benefit, because drivers can keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road while changing radio stations or composing texts messages… Unfortunately, AAA found that drivers could still be distracted while driving. The reason? Interacting with the software still affects the cognitive part of your brain.  Many of the simple tasks previously noted increase a driver’s cognitive workload. And, depending on the situation, that can be dangerous.
Vehicle voice-activated “infotainment” systems that are more complicated or just take longer to navigate created the highest levels of driver distraction and safety risks, according to the October AAA study.
Many of us who use hands-free phone technologies have already come to understand that having a conversation, especially an important or emotional one, while driving can be only a little less distracting than juggling a phone. It’s for the same reason: Cognitive distraction. Many studies back this up, including a groundbreaking one from the National Safety Council.
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The bottom line: any activity that is not directly related to driving, whether it is using electronics or simply eating, represents a potential distraction and safety risk, according to previous research by AAA, the National Safety Council, the National Transportation Safety Board and other safety groups.
As with the ongoing campaign against text messaging or voice interactive driver safety, what’s needed is a multi-pronged approach just as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) has done so successfully. Prevention strategies that may show the most promise are legislative and corporate policies, mixed with high-visibility enforcement and strict consequences. Yet technology solutions also can go even further by preventing calls and messages from being sent or received by drivers in moving vehicles.
At AVG, we’re proud to have a new solution in our portfolio of products that addresses the texting issue—Location Labs’ Drive Safe app, available as Sprint Drive First and Safely Go. (AVG acquired Location Labs in September.) Drive Safe detects motion and automatically locks a phone moving more than 10 MPH. All ringtones, buzzes and push notifications are silenced, and only designated “VIP†contacts, like parents, can get through, while everyone else gets an automatic “I’m driving, I’ll reply later†reply.
It’s clear as connected cars become the norm, demands for driver security are only going to increase – both in terms of driving safety and data security. It also presents opportunities for technology to help solve these new challenges.
Add driverless cars into the mix, and there is an exciting and brave new world ahead for technology and cars and, hopefully, greater driver safety.
