Car Technology

63% of Vehicle Owners Driven to Distraction by Tech – New OSV Research Reveals

Two-thirds of drivers believe that too much tech in cars can be distracting

42% of drivers say that they are too dependent on in-car gadgets

More than half of all drivers would pay more for additional car safety features, but less than half believe it will reduce the likelihood of an accident

Technology is everywhere, and our cars are no exception, but despite all the sophisticated new features, seatbelts are considered the first – and best – line of defence against potential harm. With 63% of drivers saying that too much in-car tech can be a dangerous distraction, OSV Ltd wanted to know which tech drivers actually wanted, and which they could live without. In some cases, the answer seems to be ‘most of it’.

Only 6% of drivers use all of the tech features that their vehicles offer, with more than half (53%) saying that they use ‘very little’. So, of the features available, which prove the most popular?

• Parking Sensors top the poll, appealing to 31% of drivers
• Bluetooth/Hands-free tech is of value to a quarter (25%) of drivers
• Although most people now use them, the Sat Nav is only cherished by less than a fifth (19%) of car owners
• Cruise Control appeals to 10%
• Despite being a leading safety feature, only 9% of drivers value AirBags
• And the much-vaunted Park Assist is only used by 6% of drivers

Interestingly, despite these figures, 42% of drivers believe that they depend on in-car gadgets too much, while almost a third (27%) would go so far as to say that reliance on technology is leading to the loss of their driving skills.

Perhaps most interestingly of all, is the revelation that while car manufacturers are pumping money into incorporating new tech features into their vehicles, the majority of drivers (66%) would rather use similar apps – such as sat navs – on their phones. A third (33%) even said that they find computer screens in a car a distraction when driving.

But there is one area that still appeals when it comes to driving tech: safety. While less than half (42%) of all drivers believe that having more safety features on a car will reduce the likelihood of being in an accident, 54% said that they’d be willing to pay more because a car has more safety features.

Joint OSV director, Andrew Kirkley, comments: ‘This research could be quite interesting to vehicle manufactures. I wonder how many of them realise that while safety-enhancing technology is very much welcomed by drivers, few seem impressed by other recent developments.

‘Every manufacturer is looking for the next big thing; the feature that will grab the public’s attention and drive significant sales. Sometimes though, it’s worth going back to basics, and putting safety first.’[vc_row source=”media_library” image=”” img_size=”full” external_img_size=”” add_caption=”” alignment=”left” style=”” external_style=”” border_color=”grey” external_border_color=”grey” onclick=”” img_link_target=”_self” title=”” custom_src=”” caption=”” link=”” img_link_large=””][vc_single_image image=”81081″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”]