"Google and Apple are proving that it is possible to reduce the level of demand in-vehicle infotainment technology places on drivers," David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said in the AAA release. "While improvements are necessary before any of the systems can be considered safe to use while driving, this research shows that smartphone-based software has the potential to offer a simpler, more familiar design that is less confusing to drivers, and therefore less demanding."
Kia, in an email statement, said: "Kia Motors America places a priority on safety and will carefully evaluate the results of this study, along with others, as part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement."
AAA also evaluated distraction levels caused by built-in infotainment systems in 10 new 2017 and 2018 vehicles, expanding on previous research, and found that none of the 10 vehicle infotainment systems produced low demand, while six systems generated high or very high demand on drivers.
Earlier, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety assessed 30 vehicles from a variety of manufacturers and the demand generated by built-in infotainment systems with tasks such as voice commands and sending text messages. Now that manufacturers provide access to CarPlay and Android Auto, the driver can perform these tasks through the vehicle's interface.