Apple CarPlay Slowing Down Driver Responses, Study Shows

A new study has revealed that among others, Apple's CarPlay is able to significantly slow down a driver's response to the things that are happening around him while he is on the road.

Car drivers are advised, even mandated, to avoid distracted driving. This is because driving while texting or making calls on a smartphone, for example, have been proven to cause or have factored in many vehicular accidents on the road.

According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 3,300 people die every year from vehcicular accidents caused by distracted driving. About 400,000 people also get injuries from distracted driving crashes yearly. These numbers indicate the need for such laws to be in place.

Several companies sought to deal with the issue of drivers using their hands to text or make calls while driving. Some of them released handsfree devices to help drivers communicate. A new study, however, indicates that new technologies still distract drivers as they make their way on the road.

According to a new study from IAM RoadSmart, a U.K.-based driving safety group, using Apple's CarPlay while driving slows a driver's response significantly, Jalopnik reported. While other technologies such as Android Auto can slow drivers down, the study found that Cupertino's offering slowed drivers' responses the most.

The study, which had drivers go through a simulated test course using a high-tech simulation setup, found that Apple CarPlay slows a driver's response by as much as 57%. It's worth noting that CarPlay can be used using hands or voice. Using touch slows a driver's response down by 57%, while talking or using voice slows a driver's response by 36%. Undistracted drivers normally respond within 1 second.

The study also looked at other things that could distract drivers and found interesting results. First, Android Auto also slowed drivers' responses down, but not as much as CarPlay (53% for touch and 30% for voice.) Using handheld phones while driving slows responses down by 46%, texting by 35%, and a hands-free phone by 27%.

Does this mean people shouldn't use CarPlay anymore? Not really. Apps like Maps and Spotify can prove to be useful while on the road. Drivers should just take extra caution while driving when using them.