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Sat Nav systems distract drivers

Tue, 04 Apr 2006

A new study has found that satellite navigation systems distract drivers.

Researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University discovered that taking in the instructions from a satellite system or directions from a passenger required significant mental effort from the driver, meaning they could not focus on the road.

Psychologist Mark Wilson said: "We had expected the additional visual information to produce more effort from the driver than a voice telling them which way to go, as driving is inherently visually demanding.

"However the experiment showed that dealing with verbal commands also require considerably more effort from the driver."

During the tests, two groups of people drove a rally car simulator.

Drivers' pupils were monitored and those receiving visual and verbal instructions tended to take their eyes off the road and could not concentrate as well on the road.

Mr Wilson suggested that the findings could help designers of in-vehicle navigation systems to make their products safer.

The research team will now test their finding in a real car on a private racetrack, while those using such systems should take extra care not to be distracted and face accidents and claims on their car insurance policies.

© Adfero Ltd

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