Driver distraction is linked to 13.6% of major traffic incidents and include using so-called ‘safe’ apps in dashboard or fixed phone systems.
The International Drivers Association team has been looking at the situation and found even apps deemed ‘safe’ for driving could contribute to driver distraction.
The one report says, “a two-second distraction can double your chances of an accident.” Do driving apps prove to be anything but safe?
Promised to improve the safety and attention of vehicle operators, safe driving applications have since been incorporated in the bag of tools for modern motorists. Applications claim to help with navigation, continuously update traffic information, and equally monitor driving behavior with an incentive for safer driving practices.
With all this intended good will, there has been growing concern that safe driving applications are actually causing a distraction to drivers and contributing to traffic incidents unfortunately.
- Over-reliance on Navigation Tools: GPS and navigation apps are useful for finding the quickest or shortest routes and navigating unfamiliar areas, but drivers may become over reliant on them to the point where they watch their screens more than they actually view the road ahead. This distraction may delay the reaction time to unfamiliar barriers or breaking points that may occur suddenly within the traffic situation.
- Notification Distractions: Driving applications notify the driver of traffic alerts, weather conditions, or messages and phone calls. Yes, they are helpful, but at times they divert the attention of the driver from crucial times. Hence, the probability of accidents increases.
- Complex Interfaces: In some driving apps, like voice message apps, the interface used is very complicated. It is absolutely dangerous to take eyes off the road for minutes simply by searching for information or trying to set something with the app, even if the whole purpose of the app is to drive more safely.
- False Sense of Security: The biggest danger is that people may get a false sense of security while using such applications. It will be like they just feel very secure that the application will save them from their foolish decisions. This might cause reckless driving, which could lead one to drive at a speed above the speed limit and/or without proper care.
- Data Overload: While discovering that some of these apps make drivers pretty overloaded with information, from lane departure warnings to speeding alerts, the data usually comes in at a very high frequency, making it hard for drivers to actually prioritize information and react properly to what is going on on the roads in reality.
- Hands-Free Isn’t Risk-Free: Even hands-free devices and operations—often paraded about as the safe way to do things—can be a prime cause of distraction. With voice input or spoken directions, a driver is requiring cognitive attention that would normally be directed toward the act of driving.
“It’s a paradox, really. The very tools that are supposed to help enhance safety on the roads might foster complacency,” observes Dominic Wyatt, course advisor at the International Drivers Association.
“In the digital era, those numbers are not surprising: helpful technology and harmful distractions have blurred the fine line,” says Wyatt. “It is obvious that even tools meant to keep us safe need to be judiciously used and responsibly handled.
Now, in the face of such an understanding, here is where it is imperative to note that the fault does not lie in technology or apps. To tap the potential of these apps without falling into the trap, bask in these remedies:
- Single-Tasking Only: Keep your focus singular; don’t attempt to multi-task.
- Pre-emptive Planning: Before the trip begins, preset your parameters or preferences on the apps.
“These guidelines can contribute significantly to making the best of these technologies without inadvertently increasing the risk on our roads,” advises Wyatt.
Road safety keeps up with the speed of technology, and this message shows that our responsibility toward safe driving is more than merely following the traffic rules. It’s vital to know and lean on the digital tools at our command, but not without respective caveats.
