Study ranks car infotainment systems according to user distraction

MANILA: One of the leading UK auto research websites determined the most and least distracting infotainment systems of different automobile brands. The BMW iDrive was regarded as the most convenient in terms of use, while the MG ZS with 8.0-in touchscreen is considered to be the most distracting among other auto infotainment systems.

According to the Department for Transport data, distracted driving accounted for about 15% of road accidents that occurred in 2018, in comparison to 13% in 2016 and 14% in 2017. In terms of serious collisions, 25% of such incidents can be attributed to distracted driving. Just one second of diversion from the road can prove fatal.

To determine the extent of distraction that a driver has while doing six common activities, the UK auto research team took note of two people driving 20 diverse car models that cover the majority of the various dashboard layout and infotainment system types in the market. The outcome of the trial depends on the specific system tested. 

The footage of two drivers was evaluated, as both of them should be accustomed with each infotainment system. They did each task to determine the duration that each driver spends in checking the touchscreen or the controls. The tests revealed that it takes more than twice longer to be familiar with the heater fan in a car with this particular feature on a touchscreen compared to a physical switch or dial. It also reaches about four times as long to be stuck up on a navigation (sat-nav) map, while it takes around eight times as long to check the series of radio stations available.

The use of voice control, meanwhile, to locate the nearest fuel station, is one task that needs to be less distracting compared to the use of a touchscreen. It enables drivers to not focus on the road for over 10 seconds, especially if the system generates slower responses and requires them to undergo numerous stages for the completion of a command.

The tests done were as follows: turning up the temperature of the car to two degrees; increasing the fan speed through two settings; navigating to the map screen and zooming out to look at the whole route in the infotainment screen and the sat-nav map; cancelling the route guidance; going through the entire list of radio stations and switching stations as well; and the utilization of a voice control button on the steering wheel and requesting the car to locate the nearest service station.

The research shows that systems having physical buttons cause less distraction and are more convenient to use while driving compared to systems that can be adjusted through a touchscreen.

It also took about twice as long to change the heating controls on certain cars having touchscreen dials compared to cars with physical controls. It also took four times longer in terms of zooming out of the sat-nav map to look at a pre-programmed route when a touchscreen is employed compared to using a rotating dial controller.

It was also determined through the tests conducted that the most convenient systems for the adjustment of the sat-nav map were the iDrive of the BMW and the Virtual Cockpit Plus of the Audi. The trickiest and most complicated to use though, is the Lexus 12.3-inch multimedia display and the MG ZS touchscreen.

The tests also emphasized the advantages of having various approaches in performing a task. Thus, the driver can select the easiest in every situation. The most excellent systems enable one to utilize voice control, touchscreen, or physical dials to perform numerous commands.

As for the least distracting system, the BMW 3 Series with Live Cockpit Professional, its infotainment system can be accessed through the turning and lowering of a large control dial located in the middle of the front seats, surrounded by easy-to-use shortcut buttons. Zooming in and out of the sat-nav map is possible by turning the dial, especially when the car is not moving. A shortcut button takes the driver to the main radio menu, and the control dial enables the fast scrolling up and down the list. Voice control functions well, especially for changing radio stations.

On the other hand, the most distracting system is the MG ZS EV with 8.0-inch touchscreen. The sat-nav page can be navigated, but there are three steps required to carry out the zooming in and out aspect. What’s worse is that the system takes forever to respond and frequently crashes, according to the study. Thus, the driver needs to look at the screen often to ensure that the commands have been carried out well.

Through the use of state-of-the-art voice control, drivers are less distracted in performing multiple tasks. The infotainment systems in Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, for instance, include natural speech recognition. Thus, anyone can activate it by talking and commanding to perform a task, while not frequently taking one’s eyes off the road. Nevertheless, not all voice control systems are quick and intuitive in terms of responses.

According to Steve Huntingford. editor of the UK auto research website, distracted driving is a major contributing factor in the increasing number of road accidents. Therefore, it is essential to look for a car that possesses responsive and convenient to use controls while driving. The most efficient and easiest infotainment systems are those that have physical controls and voice control. Those that are most distracting, however, are the infotainment systems with slow touchscreens that require completion of complicated steps before carrying out commands.

Infotainment systems ranked from least to most distracting  

                                                                                                        Total rating out of 30

1.	BMW 3 Series with Live Cockpit Professional	28
2.	Mercedes-Benz CLA with 10.25-inch touchscreen	27
3.	Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid with Connect Plus and Porsche Communication Management	27
4.	Audi Q3 Sportback with Virtual Cockpit Plus	26
5.	Mazda 3 with 8.8-inch color display and Mazda Connect	25
6.	Volkswagen Passat GTE with 8.0in Composition Media system	24
7.	Ford Fiesta with Sync 3 navigation and FordPass Connect	23
8.	Hyundai Ioniq with 10.25-inch touchscreen and Bluelink connectivity	22
9.	Vauxhall Corsa with 10.0-inch Multimedia Navi Pro	22
10.	Skoda Kamiq with 9.2-inch touchscreen, voice control, and Amundsen sat-nav	21
11.	Jaguar XE with 10.0-inch Touch Pro Duo system	21
12.	Volvo S60 with Sensus	20
13.	Toyota Corolla with Touch 2 media system and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto	20
14.	Nissan Juke with Nissan Connect	19
15.	Honda CR-V with 7.0-inch touchscreen, Honda Connect and Garmin navigation	18
16.	Lexus RX with 12.3-inch multimedia display	18
17.	Peugeot 508 SW with 10.0in Connected 3D Navigation and voice recognition	17
18.	Skoda Citigo-e iV with color screen and phone holder	16
19.	Fiat 500X with 7.0-inch touchscreen and Uconnect Live	14
20.	MG ZS with 8.0-inch touchscreen	12

 

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