October 29, 2015
Mental distractions can persist for as long as 27 seconds after dialing, changing music or sending a
text using voice commands, according to new research on distracted driving.
Drivers using phones and vehicle information systems while driving may miss stop signs,
pedestrians and other vehicles while their minds are readjusting to the task of driving, according to
the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which says its research raises “new and unexpected
concerns” regarding mental distractions.
“The lasting effects of mental distraction pose a hidden and pervasive danger that would likely come
as a surprise to most drivers,” said Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the safety group.
Researchers found that potentially unsafe levels of cognitive distraction can last for as long as 27
seconds after completing a distracting task in the worst-performing systems studied. At the 25
m.p.h. speed limit in the study, drivers traveled the length of nearly three football fields during this
time. When using the least distracting systems, drivers remained impaired for more than 15 seconds
after completing a task.
The research indicates that the use of voice-activated systems can be a distraction even at
seemingly safe moments when there is a lull in traffic or the car is stopped at an intersection. “The
reality is that mental distractions persist and can affect driver attention even after the light turns
green,” Marshall Doney, president and CEO of the auto services organization, AAA.
The researchers discovered the residual effects of mental distraction while comparing new hands-
free technologies in 10 2015 vehicles and three types of smartphones (Google Now, Apple Siri and
Microsoft Cortana). The analysis found that all systems studied increased mental distraction to
potentially unsafe levels. The systems that performed best generally had fewer errors, required less
time on task and were relatively easy to use.
The researchers rated mental distraction on a five-point scale. Category one represents a mild level
of distraction, while five represents the maximum. AAA considers a mental distraction rating of two
and higher to be potentially dangerous.