Voice assistants will help drivers not get distracted while driving: in fact - not always and not for everyone

Infotainment systems in a car can distract drivers worse than prohibited substances and drugs. But there is an opinion that voice assistants can correct the situation, however, certain problems are associated with this technology. Let's figure out what's what.


^{Samuele Errico Piccarini / Unsplash}

Multimedia systems are one of the central elements of a car. They are responsible for managing many functions, which, on the one hand, is quite convenient, and on the other, creates problems with road safety. According to a study conducted by the non-profit organization IAM Roadsmart, working with a touchscreen, the driver loses concentration on average for 16 seconds, worse keeps his distance and wags in the lane.

Automakers recognize the problem and offer solutions to it - they introduce alternative capable controls for infotainment systems and return buttons for frequently used functions to the dashboard and steering wheel. Also, voice assistants are considered one of the promising areas. Many concerns develop their own assistants. Ford offersSync , General Motors - OnStar , even Mini Cooper has proprietary technology . Most manufacturers add integration with third-party solutions like Alexa and Google Assistant. For example, an assistant from Amazon will appear in the new Volkswagen Golf, and Volvo will launch a line of electric cars with a multimedia system on Android.

Experts say that by 2022, 73% of drivers will use car voice assistants. For comparison, at the end of 2019, this figure did not exceed 50%.

Or not

Despite the fact that the voice-activated type of control allows the driver not to take his eyes off the road, communication with him requires concentration and concentration. According to neurophysiologists, safe driving is in principle incompatible with any extraneous actions. One part of the brain is responsible for controlling mechanisms and making decisions - multitasking overloads cognitive capabilities.

Back in 2014, the non-profit organization AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the University of Utah determined that voice control distracts drivers more than just talking on the phone. This data confirmsrecent study by the British corporation Transport Research Laboratory. At the same time, the company claims that communicating with a voice assistant leads to risks comparable to drunk driving.


^{Photo Damir Kopezhanov / Unsplash}

Also, as writesThe New York Times, voice assistants in automobiles, creates an information security problem and opens up new attack vectors for attackers. Devices like Alexa can start a car remotely, while an assistant can have access to connected devices in the house - even electronic locks. Hackers can use this feature to infiltrate a home or steal personal data - for example, location. Engineers from the Armis security company have already been able to detect a series of vulnerabilities that allow such attacks to be implemented, it was called BlueBorn .

Some companies rely on a special level of security for voice assistants for cars. French startup Snips designsSDK for a local system that does not send data to the cloud and can work in the complete absence of the Internet. Last year, a startup bought Sonos. Now the audio company is preparing to enter the automotive market. It can be assumed that she will also promote Snips technology if she manages to make a deal with a concern, and other IT companies will start releasing similar solutions.

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