REVEALED: The car brand with the most distracting in-car entertainment systems
In 2019, there was 12,197 road accidents1 in which a distraction played a role.
When driving, there are lots of ways to get distracted, from taking a call to children asking for your attention. But what about your car itself, and how distracting is your in-built entertainment system?
The Compensation Experts has analysed an experiment by What Car, ranking 20 vehicles on how distracting their infotainment systems are, based on six common driving tasks. They also collaborated with driving instructor John Parry to provide top tips on how to avoid getting distracted while driving.
MG ZS EV is the Worst Car for Built in Distractions
The MG ZS EV is the most distracting car to drive, scoring just a measly 12 points out of a possible 30 across the 6 tests. The Fiat 500X was the second most distracting, gaining only 14 points.
The test included were turning up the temperature by 2 degrees, increasing fan speed, zoom out on the sat nav map, cancel route guidance, switch radio to BBC Radio 4, and use voice control to find the nearest service station.
Full Results below:
|
Rank |
Brand |
Car system |
Points |
|
1 |
MG |
MG ZS EV with 8.0in touchscreen |
12 |
|
2 |
Fiat |
500X with 7-inch touchscreen and Uconnect Live |
14 |
|
3 |
Skoda |
Citigo-e iV with colour screen and phone holder |
16 |
|
4 |
Peugeot |
508 SW with 10-inch Connected 3D Navigation and voice recognition |
17 |
|
5 |
Lexus |
RX with 12.3-inch multimedia display |
18 |
|
6 |
Honda |
CR-V with 7-inch touchscreen, Honda Connect and Garmin navigation |
18 |
|
7 |
Nissan |
Juke with Nissan Connect |
19 |
|
8 |
Toyota |
Corolla with Touch 2 media system and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto |
20 |
|
9 |
Volvo |
S60 with Sensus |
20 |
|
10 |
Jaguar |
XE with 10-inch Touch Pro Duo system |
21 |
|
11 |
Skoda (premium) |
Kamiq with 9.2-inch touchscreen, voice control and Amundsen sat-nav |
21 |
|
12 |
Vauxhall |
Corsa with 10-inch Multimedia Navi Pro |
22 |
|
13 |
Hyundai |
Ioniq with 10.25-inch touchscreen and Bluelink connectivity |
22 |
|
14 |
Ford |
Fiesta with Sync 3 navigation and FordPass Connect |
23 |
|
15 |
Volkswagen |
Passat GTE with 8-inch Composition Media system |
24 |
|
16 |
Mazda |
Mazda3 with 8.8-inch colour display and Mazda Connect |
25 |
|
17 |
Audi |
Q3 Sportback with Virtual Cockpit Plus |
26 |
|
18 |
Porsche |
Panamera E-Hybrid with Connect Plus and Porsche Communication Management |
27 |
|
19 |
Mercedes-Benz |
CLA with 10.25-inch touchscreen |
27 |
|
20 |
BMW |
3 Series with Live Cockpit Professional |
28 |
Top Tips for Avoiding Distractions While Driving
John Parry, driving instructor at Parry’s Fleet Services, offers his top tips on how to avoid distractions and keep yourself and others safe while driving:
1. Know Where You are Going
If you’re using a navigation system, program the destination before you set off.
2. Pull Over
If you must call or text, or if you’re struggling to use the in-built system, pull off the road safely and stop first.
3. Ask Passengers for Help
If riding with someone, seek their help to navigate, make a call or send a message.
4. Be a good passenger
Speak out if the driver of your vehicle is distracted, and help them when needed.
5. Don’t be a distraction
Avoid calling or texting others when you know they are driving.
6. Activate Do Not Disturb
Setting up ‘Do not disturb’ on your iPhone or Android device will prevent calls from coming in while you’re driving.
7. Everyone should avoid distractions while in traffic
Just as drivers need to pay attention, so do pedestrians and bicyclists. Never call, text or play games while walking or cycling
