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Oct 24, 2014 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

On October 7th, AAANewsroom released a new warning that hands-free technology is not necessarily risk-free. They have issued significant warnings about distracted driving and hands-free devices in the past. However, the new report looks specifically at how poor design and errors can seriously reduce driver attention to the road. Our Tuscaloosa car accident attorneys recommend that clients do their homework before using any hands-free system while driving. If the use of a system is not second nature, just say “no.” Some Car Models Rank Better Than Others It is well known that hands off the wheel and eyes off the road are only two factors that contribute to distracted driving. Keeping the mind engaged on driving is critical. Many of today’s complex, confusing and error-prone hands-free systems are failing — whether drivers engage in talking, texting or even changing radio stations. Tests on changing radio stations and voice dialing revealed that some vehicles were better than others. Using a five-point category scale, where five was the highest cognitive distraction rating, AAA reports the following results: Toyota’s Entune® system rated 1.7, the lowest cognitive distraction rating, making it a better choice than many other systems. Hyundai’s Blue Link rated 2.2. Chrysler Uconnect™ ranked 2.7. Ford SYNC with MyFord Touch® ranked 3.0. Mercedes COMAND® rated 3.1. Chevrolet MyLink® had the highest rating in the test, at 3.7. While the AAA report predicts that these systems will continue to improve over time, it is clear that drivers need to understand that these systems […]