Almost half of UK motorists are seriously distracted by in-car technology whilst driving, according to RAC’s latest Report on Motoring.
The new report reveals 46 per cent of the drivers polled find gadgets severely divert their attention while on the road, with the figure rising to 55 per cent among 17-24 year olds.
Although mobile phones and satellite navigation systems are often touted as the top distractions, the Report found the main culprit is more familiar technology:
* 54 per cent admit they have been seriously distracted by their radio, CD or DVD player, with the 17-24 year old age group again proving the most affected (63 per cent)
* 35 per cent are distracted by their heating/air conditioning controls
* 34 per cent are distracted by their SatNav (this rises to 40 per cent among young drivers and to 49 per cent among high mileage drivers).
* 32 per cenr say their mobile phone has seriously distracted them, rising to 41 per cent among 17-24-year-olds
RAC’s Report on Motoring is celebrating its 20th year as the voice of the motorist. This technology report looks back over two decades of technological advances as well as looking at what drivers believe will happen over the next 20 years.
David Bizley, RAC’s technical director said: “In-car technology has come a long way since the late ‘80s. The advances have fallen into two camps - active and passive. Active technologies such as in-car entertainment are not always positive as they can cause driver distraction, while passive technologies, such as anti-locking brake systems (ABS), are undervalued as they are not fully understood or deemed less important as they come on automatically.”
The latest report backs this up with millions of motorists not sure what technology is fitted to their cars, and indeed, how it actually works.
The report reveals that whilst ABS and immobilisers are fitted as standard on new cars by law, only 70 per cent of motorists knew that they had ABS, whilst only 68 per cent knew that they had immobilisers.
And as cars get more technologically complex, drivers are faced with more and more warning signals on their dashboard. These are meant alert drivers to potential problems, but it seems they are also leading to confusion over what all these signals mean, for example only half of drivers recognise the symbol for an airbag.
It’s not surprising then that 85 per cent of motorists believe the complexity of cars today means people need to be taught how to use in-car technology properly.
When looking to the next 20 years of motoring, drivers believe that technology is going to advance even further:
* 23 per cent believe the cars will be manufactured with in-built technology that enables the driver to simply input an end destination then sit back and enjoy the ride
* more than a third (35 per cent) think cars will be able to ‘talk’ to each other in order to pinpoint and avoid traffic
* 71 per cent believe cars will be able to tell you when you are driving over the speed limit, with 50 per cent predicting cars will not allow drivers to exceed the speed limits
* 60 per cent predict fingerprint, voice or breath recognition will replace keys as the traditional method of starting a car.
Some of this technology is already filtering through into the car market and whilst some of the speculation may seem far-fetched, this type of technology could become reality if previous motorists’ predictions are anything to go by:
* in 1989, 23 per cent of motorists predicted that on board computers providing directions would be fitted to all cars
* 26 per cent of people surveyed in 1990 thought cars would have in-built telephones and fax machines, which is incredibly accurate if you replace faxes with emails
* in 1992, 57 per cent believed airbags would be fitted in cars as standard.
Bizley added: “Technology has always been a key feature of the car, but there have been some real leaps when it comes to the computers and electronics involved.
“While these technologies have improved car safety in many respects, and improved the in-car experience of the driver, they do have their drawbacks - namely distracting the motorist while driving and confusing them when it comes to the number of warning signals which can be found on dashboards.
“It is the use of the in-car technologies we take for granted such as the CD player and air conditioning that cause as much of a distraction as mobile phones and SatNav. These technologies aren’t dangerous in themselves but they must be used responsibly.
“Before you embark on any trip you should always make sure you and your car are fully prepared for the journey, even down to choosing your favourite CD or radio station and getting the temperature controls right.
“If you really do need to change any thing while driving, do it safely - preferably by pulling over at a suitable location.”
In its Report on Motoring, RAC is also calling for:
* A Europe-wide code of practice to standardise the dashboard display symbols and lights. It should be made easier for motorists to understand the meaning of warning lights as well as the level of risk they face.
* Wider use of LCD screens in new cars to provide drivers with plain English explanations of warnings and what can be done to remedy the problems
* Car manuals to be developed and written in a more consumer friendly with downloadable quick user guides for the second hand market. Manufacturers should also ensure their warning symbols and explanations are readily accessible online, so that customers can identify problems quickly.
