Touch screen distraction.
#1
genec
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
Touch screen distraction.
I believe I mentioned this quite some time ago. Now a study has been done. And Jeeze... really... if you take your eyes off the road, you ARE GONNA MISS SOMETHING! Yet car company after car company has installed these damn "infotainment system touch screens" that allow the driver to manage everything from vehicle climate, to sound, to GPS, to heck, even games. In many cases there are alternative controls, but these are often so small, and complex in marking or arrangement... that drivers are still distracted. The concept of a Keep It Simple dashboard was thrown out long long ago. The notion of being able to reach blindly for certain controls and make adjustments that had tactile feedback went right out the window with the introduction of the infotainment touch screen.
https://www.npr.org/2017/10/09/55670...-doing-to-help
https://www.aarp.org/auto/info-2017/...driver-fd.html
Gee, did you just take the lane in front of that motorist that was just looking to see where the next turn to their destination is supposed to be...
Even the automakers are finally becoming aware of the problems with touch screens....
https://www.slashgear.com/ford-bring...ears-17286673/
The touch screen systems in new vehicles are distracting, increasing the risk of accidents. That's according to a new study from the University of Utah. Researchers say all 30 systems they tested cause some level of driver distraction. A prominent safety advocate says automakers can make their systems safer by preventing drivers from using certain features when the car is moving.
Those whiz-bang tech bells and whistles in your new car are cool and all — but they also may be keeping your eyes off the road for dangerously long stretches of time.
That’s according to a new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which found that the information and entertainment systems in many new cars can distract drivers for as long as 40-plus seconds at a time. According to AAA, removing your eyes from the road for only two seconds doubles the risk of an accident. The study, conducted for AAA by researchers from the University of Utah, took both voice-based and touch screen features into account, gauging the visual and cognitive demands required to operate infotainment systems in 30 new 2017 vehicles.
That’s according to a new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which found that the information and entertainment systems in many new cars can distract drivers for as long as 40-plus seconds at a time. According to AAA, removing your eyes from the road for only two seconds doubles the risk of an accident. The study, conducted for AAA by researchers from the University of Utah, took both voice-based and touch screen features into account, gauging the visual and cognitive demands required to operate infotainment systems in 30 new 2017 vehicles.
Participants were tasked with using interactive technologies to make a phone call, send a text message, find a radio station and program the navigation system, all while driving. Navigation proved to be the most time intensive, requiring drivers to take their eyes off the road for an average of 40 seconds. In that time, a car driving at 25 miles per hour would travel the length of four football fields — essentially driving blind. Though some automakers address this distraction by disabling navigation programming while the car is in motion, nearly half of the models tested allowed it.
Even the automakers are finally becoming aware of the problems with touch screens....
Ford plans to restore buttons and knobs to its high-tech dashboards, after drivers complained that touchscreen-centric infotainment systems made common tasks like adjusting volume demand too much attention. The car company still maintains that its SYNC and MyFord Touch systems, which see increasingly large LCD displays take center-stage in the dashboard, are popular among drivers, with 79-percent of new 2013 cars sold featuring the systems.
Last edited by genec; 07-27-19 at 03:47 PM.
Likes For genec:
#2
Half way there
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,957
Bikes: Many, and the list changes frequently
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 986 Post(s)
Liked 880 Times
in
527 Posts
I rented a car that had a navigation system mounted in the lower center dash "information screen". I was significantly bothered about having to look down all the time to get updates so after a half hour I mounted my own GPS on the windshield where I could monitor without dropping my eyes from the road.
#3
genec
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
I rented a car that had a navigation system mounted in the lower center dash "information screen". I was significantly bothered about having to look down all the time to get updates so after a half hour I mounted my own GPS on the windshield where I could monitor without dropping my eyes from the road.
Imagine if automobile makers had decided to have different locations for things like turn signal lever, gas pedal, brake... just to name a few. This is somewhat like the differences users may face with these convoluted touch screen UIs.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 4,530
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2112 Post(s)
Liked 663 Times
in
443 Posts
(BTW, new zoom zooms won’t let you touch the touch screen while driving. Not quite right. You can touch them but they don’t do anything)
-mr. bill
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: NE Tennessee
Posts: 917
Bikes: Giant TCR/Surly Karate Monkey/Foundry FireTower/Curtlo Tandem
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 169 Post(s)
Liked 84 Times
in
62 Posts
I cannot count the number of buttons on the steering wheel of my new Jeep Cherokee or Ford F-150. I do know that they are a bit different and it'd be nice if there was a standard.
Much of what is on the center touch screen is pure fluff. Anything that I need to know to operate the vehicle is available in the center part of the instrument cluster. That said, too many people focus on the fluff while driving. Distracted driving certainly puts us all at risk.
Much of what is on the center touch screen is pure fluff. Anything that I need to know to operate the vehicle is available in the center part of the instrument cluster. That said, too many people focus on the fluff while driving. Distracted driving certainly puts us all at risk.
#6
genec
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
Uh, never driven anti-clockwise? Stick is on the left, but the H isn’t mirrored. Clutch still on the left, brake in the middle, accelerator on the right (ok,why?) but turn signals and wipers are flippy flippied.
(BTW, new zoom zooms won’t let you touch the touch screen while driving. Not quite right. You can touch them but they don’t do anything)
-mr. bill
(BTW, new zoom zooms won’t let you touch the touch screen while driving. Not quite right. You can touch them but they don’t do anything)
-mr. bill
Now try that arrangement with the steering wheel on the left. Then change the wheel to a mouse, keep the stick shift, but move it to your left hand, on the dashboard, change the shift pattern entirely. Put the clutch in between the brake and gas, and drive by peering into a mirror. Put the radio in the back seat. Then drive unfamiliar roads.
Enjoy your drive.
#7
Full Member
yeah, isn't this the irony of it all ?? all this talk about distracted driving, and every new car and truck has an engineered and designed distraction built-in. go figure ......
Likes For adablduya:
#8
genec
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
And yet nobody seemed to notice...SHEESH.
Well, a damn study had to be done... I mean, really?!?! DUH!
OK so at least Ford seems to have noticed... but holy crap... #tooklongenough
Likes For genec:
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Brentwood WLA
Posts: 326
Bikes: 50/34, 11-40, 11 Speed
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 142 Post(s)
Liked 73 Times
in
52 Posts
It probably will never happen but the best future outcome would incorporate a lot, not all, functions into a Heads-Up-Display.
Likes For BengalCat:
#10
Quidam Bike Super Hero
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Stone Mountain, GA (Metro Atlanta, East)
Posts: 1,135
Bikes: 1995 Trek 800 Sport, aka, "CamelTrek"
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 331 Post(s)
Liked 415 Times
in
282 Posts
Same major intersection in Metro Atlanta. Outbound trip (I'm forced to do this part of route for 1-2 mins) inattentive driver enters from turn lane while looking down. Return route, I line for the intersection crossing, bright clothes and BRIGHT flashing light... two distracted gasholes turn in front of me (I'm going straight) looking at who knows what, but not me or the road. Airzounded them both and got the panicked "oh spit!" look from the trailing driver as she finally looked up from whatever is more important than my life....
#11
genec
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
Personally, I like using my cell phone in unfamiliar areas for GPS. I set up my destination while sitting in the airport parking lot. (not the garage, where GPS doesn't work.) Then I put it on audio, and let it voice guide me while I watch traffic and read the damn signs. The latter is particularly important... no amount of "instant update" is going to be good enough to know that some road is closed right now due to a pipe break that just took place.
And, I am watching where I am going, and getting familiar with where I am... oh yeah, and most importantly, watching traffic.
No, this isn't perfect... but I can always pull over and reset the whole darn thing.
Funny thing, not more than 5 weeks ago I was driving a Ford Mustang... darn thing wanted to install software while I was driving. Uh, not the time Ford. Had something to do with their SYNC system. I happened to know that particular highway route, and managed to just turn off my phone until later.
And, I am watching where I am going, and getting familiar with where I am... oh yeah, and most importantly, watching traffic.
No, this isn't perfect... but I can always pull over and reset the whole darn thing.
Funny thing, not more than 5 weeks ago I was driving a Ford Mustang... darn thing wanted to install software while I was driving. Uh, not the time Ford. Had something to do with their SYNC system. I happened to know that particular highway route, and managed to just turn off my phone until later.
#12
Senior Member
Historically x and y were:
Smoking and lung cancer
Leaded paint and leaded gasoline and lead poisoning
Greenhouse gases and global warming
And soon it will be distracted driving and road fatalities.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Elevation 666m Edmonton Canada
Posts: 2,482
Bikes: 2013 Custom SA5w / Rohloff Tourster
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1237 Post(s)
Liked 321 Times
in
248 Posts
Well I just suckered myself into buying one..... THE safest car on the road too.
They now have radar control for lanes, blind spot and braking. So now you CAN take your eyes off and the car will beep and slam on the brakes. Happened to me already today. 2 wrongs made a right. LOL
Yesterday I went for a highway drive and the line control was rather poor, for the left side anyway. They say rain and dirt affects the ability.
So I don't see how robot cars will work in winter, pouring rain, snowing or dust storms.
They now have radar control for lanes, blind spot and braking. So now you CAN take your eyes off and the car will beep and slam on the brakes. Happened to me already today. 2 wrongs made a right. LOL
Yesterday I went for a highway drive and the line control was rather poor, for the left side anyway. They say rain and dirt affects the ability.
So I don't see how robot cars will work in winter, pouring rain, snowing or dust storms.
#14
genec
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
Well I just suckered myself into buying one..... THE safest car on the road too.
They now have radar control for lanes, blind spot and braking. So now you CAN take your eyes off and the car will beep and slam on the brakes. Happened to me already today. 2 wrongs made a right. LOL
Yesterday I went for a highway drive and the line control was rather poor, for the left side anyway. They say rain and dirt affects the ability.
So I don't see how robot cars will work in winter, pouring rain, snowing or dust storms.
They now have radar control for lanes, blind spot and braking. So now you CAN take your eyes off and the car will beep and slam on the brakes. Happened to me already today. 2 wrongs made a right. LOL
Yesterday I went for a highway drive and the line control was rather poor, for the left side anyway. They say rain and dirt affects the ability.
So I don't see how robot cars will work in winter, pouring rain, snowing or dust storms.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: LF, APMAT
Posts: 2,752
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 623 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 397 Times
in
226 Posts
I suspect the automakers don't put this stuff in out of the goodness of their hearts. It is because consumers want it. In other words, the enemy is us (some of us anyways).
Likes For bikecrate:
#16
For The Fun of It
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Louisissippi Coast
Posts: 5,852
Bikes: Lynskey GR300, Lynskey Backroad, Litespeed T6, Lynskey MT29, Burley Duet
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2135 Post(s)
Liked 1,646 Times
in
828 Posts
I cannot count the number of buttons on the steering wheel of my new Jeep Cherokee or Ford F-150. I do know that they are a bit different and it'd be nice if there was a standard.
Much of what is on the center touch screen is pure fluff. Anything that I need to know to operate the vehicle is available in the center part of the instrument cluster. That said, too many people focus on the fluff while driving. Distracted driving certainly puts us all at risk.
Much of what is on the center touch screen is pure fluff. Anything that I need to know to operate the vehicle is available in the center part of the instrument cluster. That said, too many people focus on the fluff while driving. Distracted driving certainly puts us all at risk.
#17
For The Fun of It
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Louisissippi Coast
Posts: 5,852
Bikes: Lynskey GR300, Lynskey Backroad, Litespeed T6, Lynskey MT29, Burley Duet
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2135 Post(s)
Liked 1,646 Times
in
828 Posts
Driving itself is a full of distractions. Reading road signage, for example is part of the driving experience, but it does draw your attention away from the physical part of driving. I have driven through Dallas twice in the past month. I am not familiar with Dallas. I did use my phone for voice navigation, but I also had to watch the signage to include speed limit signs. At no point in my travels was I less in tune with the big picture than when I was in heavy traffic in unfamiliar Dallas trying to find my way.
It is possible to safely use the infotainment system. It is possible to safely manipulate one of the 70+ buttons. It is possible to safely make a phone call. It is possible to safely listen to the radio. It is possible to safely have a conversation with a passenger. It is possible to safely hand a snack back to your child. And I dare say it is possible to safely send a text. It is not safe to become consumed by or lost in those distractions.
It is possible to safely use the infotainment system. It is possible to safely manipulate one of the 70+ buttons. It is possible to safely make a phone call. It is possible to safely listen to the radio. It is possible to safely have a conversation with a passenger. It is possible to safely hand a snack back to your child. And I dare say it is possible to safely send a text. It is not safe to become consumed by or lost in those distractions.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 4,530
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2112 Post(s)
Liked 663 Times
in
443 Posts
48 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands disagree with you.
Missouri bans young and/or inexperienced drivers from texting while driving.
Montana agrees with you, sort of.
Billings, Bozeman, Columbia Falls, Hamilton, Great Falls, and Whitefish ban all handheld cell phone use.
Outside of those jurisdictions in Montana, it’s literally go ahead and knock yourself out (or worse).
-mr. bill
#19
genec
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
Driving itself is a full of distractions. Reading road signage, for example is part of the driving experience, but it does draw your attention away from the physical part of driving. I have driven through Dallas twice in the past month. I am not familiar with Dallas. I did use my phone for voice navigation, but I also had to watch the signage to include speed limit signs. At no point in my travels was I less in tune with the big picture than when I was in heavy traffic in unfamiliar Dallas trying to find my way.
It is possible to safely use the infotainment system. It is possible to safely manipulate one of the 70+ buttons. It is possible to safely make a phone call. It is possible to safely listen to the radio. It is possible to safely have a conversation with a passenger. It is possible to safely hand a snack back to your child. And I dare say it is possible to safely send a text. It is not safe to become consumed by or lost in those distractions.
It is possible to safely use the infotainment system. It is possible to safely manipulate one of the 70+ buttons. It is possible to safely make a phone call. It is possible to safely listen to the radio. It is possible to safely have a conversation with a passenger. It is possible to safely hand a snack back to your child. And I dare say it is possible to safely send a text. It is not safe to become consumed by or lost in those distractions.
#realitycheck
Likes For genec:
#20
For The Fun of It
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Louisissippi Coast
Posts: 5,852
Bikes: Lynskey GR300, Lynskey Backroad, Litespeed T6, Lynskey MT29, Burley Duet
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2135 Post(s)
Liked 1,646 Times
in
828 Posts
So, let me get this straight... in YOUR opinion, reading the signs OUTSIDE your car, on the roadway, giving roadway instruction, are distracting... but reading small text, inside your car, dealing with non driving subjects, is not distracting.... OOOOKAAAYY. Right. Got it.
#realitycheck
#realitycheck
You read into it. Almost all common distractions can be managed safely. That includes reading my phone screen.
#21
genec
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
Originally Posted by NHTSA
“In 2006, there were an estimated 5,973,000 police-reported traffic crashes, in which 42,642 people were killed and 2,575,000 people were injured; 4,189,000 crashes involved property damage only.”
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 9,201
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1186 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
177 Posts
Well I just suckered myself into buying one..... THE safest car on the road too.
They now have radar control for lanes, blind spot and braking. So now you CAN take your eyes off and the car will beep and slam on the brakes. Happened to me already today. 2 wrongs made a right. LOL
Yesterday I went for a highway drive and the line control was rather poor, for the left side anyway. They say rain and dirt affects the ability.
So I don't see how robot cars will work in winter, pouring rain, snowing or dust storms.
They now have radar control for lanes, blind spot and braking. So now you CAN take your eyes off and the car will beep and slam on the brakes. Happened to me already today. 2 wrongs made a right. LOL
Yesterday I went for a highway drive and the line control was rather poor, for the left side anyway. They say rain and dirt affects the ability.
So I don't see how robot cars will work in winter, pouring rain, snowing or dust storms.
Likes For gregf83: