Drivers admit touchscreens cause distraction

A poll by fleet and driver safety provider AutoSense has found that half of Australian drivers prefer physical knobs and buttons to touchscreens when behind the wheel. Ninety per cent of respondents admitted they had felt distracted while using vehicle touchscreens, with 12 per cent saying it happened frequently and 46 per cent occasionally. Just seven per cent of drivers said they preferred touchscreens, with 18 per cent preferring a mix of physical and touchscreen controls. The poll found that in-car technology was one of several things competing for Australian drivers' attention, with almost one in four respondents identifying adjusting temperature, music or other vehicle controls as something that commonly distracted them, while 22 per cent nominated checking navigation or maps on a screen, and 16 per cent looking at an in-car touchscreen or display. AutoSense Australia chief executive officer Charles Dawson said the findings highlighted an important distinction between technology designed to support drivers and the way drivers interact with it. "Technology has an incredibly important role to play in making vehicles and roads safer, so this isn't about saying technology itself is the problem," he said. Mr Dawson said drivers could reduce everyday distractions by thinking ahead before setting off. "Set your navigation before you leave, make sure things you might need are easy to reach, and familiarise yourself with the controls in a vehicle you don't know well." Former professional racing driver and AutoSense ambassador and road safety advocate Greg Murphy said the safest approach was to make driving the priority. "If something can wait until you're stopped, let it wait," he said.

Drivers admit touchscreens cause distraction

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