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A study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute reveals that voice-to-text applications offer no real safety advantage over manual texting. While they allow hands-free control of smartphone functions and keep the driver's eyes on the road, these apps don't make people any less distracted, apparently.
The 43 research participants first navigated a set course without any use of cell phones. Then, each of them completed three more laps performing a series of texting exercises - once using each of two voice-to-text applications (Siri for the iPhone, and Vlingo for Android), and once texting manually.
As it turned out, driver response times were significantly delayed no matter which texting method was used. In each case, drivers took about twice as long to react as they did when they weren't texting.
For most tasks, manual texting required slightly less time than the voice-to-text method, but driver performance was roughly the same with both.
I personally own a Dodge Grand Caravan with Uconnect. The latter is great when making phone calls, since I don't have to pull over to dial the number. However, when the system fails to understand what I'm saying, even after a few repeats, I start to lose patience and pay less attention to the road, even though I'm staring at it.
As the study rightfully points out, drivers generally feel safer when using a voice-to-text application than when texting manually. Whichever method is used, though, driving performance is likely to suffer.
In the end, one must remember that voice command systems, while legal and helpful to a certain extent, can also be a source of distraction behind the wheel. They sure as hell don't make us perfectly safe, let alone invincible.
And please, take all the time you need to learn how these systems and apps work before you hit the road!
The 43 research participants first navigated a set course without any use of cell phones. Then, each of them completed three more laps performing a series of texting exercises - once using each of two voice-to-text applications (Siri for the iPhone, and Vlingo for Android), and once texting manually.
As it turned out, driver response times were significantly delayed no matter which texting method was used. In each case, drivers took about twice as long to react as they did when they weren't texting.
For most tasks, manual texting required slightly less time than the voice-to-text method, but driver performance was roughly the same with both.
I personally own a Dodge Grand Caravan with Uconnect. The latter is great when making phone calls, since I don't have to pull over to dial the number. However, when the system fails to understand what I'm saying, even after a few repeats, I start to lose patience and pay less attention to the road, even though I'm staring at it.
As the study rightfully points out, drivers generally feel safer when using a voice-to-text application than when texting manually. Whichever method is used, though, driving performance is likely to suffer.
In the end, one must remember that voice command systems, while legal and helpful to a certain extent, can also be a source of distraction behind the wheel. They sure as hell don't make us perfectly safe, let alone invincible.
And please, take all the time you need to learn how these systems and apps work before you hit the road!
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