Distraction: apps for "safe driving" play a major role in traffic accidents
More and more mobile applications are helping with navigation and monitoring driving behavior. There is growing concern that they could distract drivers.
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Apps for "safe driving" are finding their way into more and more cars. They are designed to help with navigation, continuously update traffic information, monitor driving behavior and offer incentives for safer driving. However, according to the International Drivers Association, which issues international driving licenses, such mobile applications are linked to 13.6 percent of all serious road accidents. Dominic Wyatt, course consultant at the association, spoke of a paradox: the very tools that are supposed to make the roads safer could distract drivers and lead them to adopt a self-absorbed, dangerous driving style.
The North American Automobile Association (AAA) refers to a study, according to which just two hours of distraction can double the risk of a car accident. According to official figures, one in ten fatal road accidents in the USA can be attributed to carelessness, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths per year. Inattention at the wheel is one of the most common causes of accidents, injuries and deaths on Canada's roads, explains the Canadian AAA offshoot CAA. In the country, as many as 21 percent of fatal accidents can be attributed to this. According to a study by the EU Commission, around 5 to 25 percent of car accidents are related to driver distraction. Rates of up to 70 percent were even determined for truck drivers. The differences were related to different working definitions, research methods and driver populations.
The International Drivers Association now speaks of an "invisible danger" considering the increase in driving apps. It identifies "over-reliance on navigation tools" as one of the causes. GPS and navigation systems are useful "to find the fastest or shortest route". But drivers sometimes "rely on them too much, to the point where they look more at their screens than at the road ahead". This can delay reaction time to unknown obstacles or other points that suddenly appear on the road and require braking. Furthermore, drivers are increasingly bombarded with traffic reports, weather conditions, chat messages or phone calls via on-board computers and smartphones, which sometimes demand their attention at crucial moments.
Biggest danger: a false sense of security
According to the consortium, relevant apps flood drivers with information - from requests or warnings to change lanes to the threat of speeding. Such information often comes "at a very high frequency", which makes it difficult to set priorities and react appropriately. The greatest danger is that drivers develop a false sense of security when using such applications. The supposed exclusion of "stupid" personal decisions could lead to reckless or careless driving.
Even hands-free devices - which are often touted as a safe method - are not risk-free, emphasizes the International Drivers Association. Even with voice input and spoken instructions, the driver has to pay cognitive attention that would normally be focused on the road or the instrument display. The association therefore recommends "single-tasking" in the car: it is crucial to concentrate on the task of driving and not try to do more than one thing at the same time. Planning ahead is also important: "Set your parameters or preferences in the apps before you start driving."
(vbr)
