Apple CarPlay, Android Auto distract drivers more than pot, alcohol, says study

Re:Apple CarPlay, Android Auto distract drivers more than po... by i_am_proteus on Saturday March 21, 2020 @12:39PM (#22647752)

Car manufacturers should look to motorcycles for minimal-distraction UIs. I have a late-model BMW touring bike which has a sizeable number of features (adjustable suspension, throttle response, grip heaters, cruise control), all of which can be controlled by feel/touch from buttons on the handlebars.

That said, car drivers really should get in the habit of making playlists so they can set up music and maps before they start rolling.

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Re:Apple CarPlay, Android Auto distract drivers more than po... by Osiris on Saturday March 21, 2020 @11:19PM (#22652427)

I commute daily on a bike and I don't have any of these features. All I have is google assistant through my Bluetooth headset in the helmet.

As a rider, I love the lack of distraction and can focus on everything going on around me, an important skill for staying alive on a bike.

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Re:Apple CarPlay, Android Auto distract drivers more than po... by chillwaves on Saturday March 21, 2020 @03:26PM (#22649176)

My Android Auto has limited features compared to the app, for example you cannot make a new playlist, only access existing ones.

I'm sure it can be distracting, but it is also easy to set up with minimal interaction.

Ultimately, it comes down to individual behavior.

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Re:Apple CarPlay, Android Auto distract drivers more than po... by Ntrails on Sunday March 22, 2020 @04:51AM (#22653639)

> Ultimately, it comes down to individual behavior.

The problem with all this is that it just depends. If I check a message after stopping at a red light? No real risk. If i hit "call" whilst on an empty straight motor way for a hands free chat? No real risk.

If I try and compose an email on a country lane, or find a specific artist to play, or set a reminder whilst driving through a town centre... quite a lot of risk.

My car still has cassettes, so I have probably taken more risk changing over those (where is that bloody mixtape I want) than the limited phone use I have done

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Re:Apple CarPlay, Android Auto distract drivers more than po... by monadic2 on Sunday March 22, 2020 @10:14AM (#22655050)

> Ultimately, it comes down to individual behavior.

If this were true cars wouldn’t have touchscreens built in.

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Re:Apple CarPlay, Android Auto distract drivers more than po... by jocker12 on Sunday March 22, 2020 @02:22PM (#22657212)

They do have them on F1 steering wheels (3 rotating dials for each thumb - on upper and two inside) - see https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iO-QwuFqzgI/maxresdefault.jpg

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Re:Apple CarPlay, Android Auto distract drivers more than po... by hanche on Monday March 23, 2020 @02:47AM (#22661782)

My understanding is that those steering wheels are highly customized according to the preferences of each driver. Good thing they are detachable (as they must be, so the driver can get into and out of the cockpit), so the driver can use it with different cars. (Source: Ars Technica long ago?)

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