By Sam Upton 

Earlier this year, the results of a fascinating study by a team of researchers from Harvard Medical School were published. The study looked at whether periodic increases in traffic fatalities in the US were linked to the release of major music albums. By examining road safety data between 2017 and 2022 alongside the release dates of albums such as Taylor Swift’s Midnights and Harry Styles’s Harry’s House, they found a 15% increase in fatalities on the day of release compared to the surrounding days.  

The paper concluded that “major music album releases, accompanied by increased online streaming, were associated with a significant increase in traffic fatalities, suggesting that online music streaming through smartphones may significantly contribute to distracted driving and traffic fatalities.” 

Touchscreen trouble 

In the area of driver distraction, there’s been a consistently strong focus on the use of mobiles in vehicles. Whether talking, texting or simply tapping, it’s widely accepted that using a mobile while driving is a major cause of accidents and therefore illegal, potentially resulting in disqualification, fines and imprisonment if prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving  

But while the law is clear on mobile use, there’s currently no specific guidance on the use of vehicle touchscreens, despite a number of studies indicating its role in a significant amount of collisions. A landmark report by IAM RoadSmart in 2020 found that using touch control resulted in reaction times that were worse than texting, as well as alcohol and cannabis use.  

The study also found that using touch control resulted in an increase in response time of up to 53, which increased average stopping distances to between four and five car lengths at motorway speeds, and up to 0.53m deviation of lane position. Perhaps most worrying, drivers were found to have taken their eyes off the road for as long as 16 seconds while driving.  

“Driver distraction is estimated to be a factor in around a third of all road collisions in Europe each year,” said Neil Greig, policy and research director of IAM RoadSmart. “In our view anything that distracts a driver’s eyes or mind from the road is bad news for road safety.” 

Distraction techniques 

However, it’s not just music that could be the cause of distraction. Manufacturers are increasingly shifting the operation of heating systems and windscreen wipers from manual to touchscreen control, which requires the driver to divert their attention from the road to the screen.  

Recent research by insurers Allianz found that using a touchscreen for traditionally manual controls added up to three seconds of off-road glance time, while two in three drivers want physical controls restored for safety-critical functions.  

“To ensure safe vehicle operation, clear recommendations are needed on which functions should be controlled via physical switches and which via touchscreen,” said Dr. Christian Sahr, managing director of the Allianz Center for Technology. “At the same time, scientific insights into human-machine interaction should be applied consistently to design touchscreen interfaces that distract drivers as little as possible from the road.”  

Car safety bodies such as the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) have also begun to question the safety of modern vehicles with complex touchscreen technology, downgrading the safety rating of cars that don’t have physical buttons or switches for indicators, hazard lights, horns, windscreen wipers and the SOS function. 

Whether it’s from streaming music, checking the traffic or simply heating up the car, driver distraction is a major safety concern and something that needs to be addressed.