AAA: In-Car Voice Systems Are Still Dangerous
to change the radio station to that."
Nelson was also impressed that the Entune system didn't allow drivers to compose text messages or emails while behind the wheel. Drivers can review, delete, or flag messages to review later, but they can't respond to them. "What we found in our research was that by eliminating the ability to respond to messages versus just listening to them, you can reduce the demands on drivers by 50 percent," Nelson says.
Toyota's Entune came in at 1.7 on the five-point scale, followed by Hyundai Blue Link, 2.2; Chrysler UConnect, 2.7; Ford SYNC with MyFord Touch, 3.0; Mercedes COMMAND, 3.1; and Chevy's MyLink, 3.7.
In a separate test, Apple's Siri came in at 4.14, but the parameters of that test were different than those used for the car manufacturer systems. The test evaluated three tasks: reviewing a calendar, posting to Facebook and Twitter, and sending text messages.
"I wouldn't compare how Siri fared to the six OEM products," Nelson says.
Since the report was published, Apple has publicly said that its Siri Eyes Free and CarPlay automotive smartphone apps would probably have done much better than the Siri voice assistant.
Nuance Communications, which supplies the speech recognition and speech synthesis technologies for all of the systems tested except the one used by Ford, said it recognizes that as cars become increasingly connected, it's critical that the industry "continues to design systems that deliver a safer, smarter experience.
"The results of the recent AAA study reinforce the important role that design plays in these experiences," said Arnd Weil, vice president and general manager of Nuance's automotive division, in an email. "Connected systems must be specifically optimized for the in-car experience and thoughtfully integrate eyes-free and hands-free voice and content capabilities from the perspective of the driver. To help minimize distraction, these systems need to adapt to the human behind the wheel versus forcing people to adapt to them in unnatural and unsafe ways."
Nelson also points out not all of these systems are created equal. Some are less cognitively demanding than others, but none of them are completely safe. "Just because technology allows us to do these types of things does not mean we should do it. It's important...while driving to just focus exclusively on driving, and that's what AAA has been saying for over a decade."
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