Car ‘infotainment’ systems riskier than texting and driving

SOPHISTICATED in-car “infotainment” systems are putting road users’ lives at risk and are more dangerous than texting at the wheel, according to research.

Integrated displays that combine satellite navigation with music and internet systems are often needlessly complicated and can draw drivers’ eyes off the road for up to 40 seconds at a time, scientists in the US have found.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) analysed 30 popular vehicles released in 2017 and found that nearly half had infotainment systems that placed a “very high” demand on their users’ concentration.

Operating an infotainment system while driving is legal in the UK. However, last night the RAC warned drivers against using technology while on the move. The organisation also called on manufacturers to design systems that were as simple and intuitive as possible.

Marshall Doney, president of the AAA, said: “Automakers should aim to reduce distractions by designing systems that are no more visually or mentally demanding than listening to the radio or an audiobook.” Last week the Government published statistics for 2016 which revealed that deaths from crashes resulting from in-vehicle distractions had risen 39 per cent on the previous year, to 140.