Ford has been winning sales with SYNC, but the infotainment interface may also save lives. We already knew that SYNC, when sync'd up with a Bluetooth-enabled phone, can call 911 for you in the event of an accident. Now, a report from the Blue Oval contends that SYNC can help prevent a collision from happening in the first place. Studies show that talking on the phone while driving can quadruple your chances of an accident, but with SYNC, drivers spend less time with their eyes off the road. The numbers speak for themselves. The SYNC user using voice commands averages two seconds with their eyes off the road, while someone interacting directly with their phone or MP3 player can be distracted for 25 seconds during a commute.
Ford tested 25 participants with typical infotainment tasks like dialing a ten-digit number, calling a specific person from the digital phone book, receiving a call while driving, playing a specific song, and reviewing and responding to text messages. Ford researchers measured total eyes-off-the-road time, deviation of lane position, speed variability, and object detection response time to identify differences in attentiveness and driving performance while using basic functions. SYNC-using drivers never swerved out of their lane, while others meandered 30% of the time. Ford's complete press release is available after the jump.
Ford tested 25 participants with typical infotainment tasks like dialing a ten-digit number, calling a specific person from the digital phone book, receiving a call while driving, playing a specific song, and reviewing and responding to text messages. Ford researchers measured total eyes-off-the-road time, deviation of lane position, speed variability, and object detection response time to identify differences in attentiveness and driving performance while using basic functions. SYNC-using drivers never swerved out of their lane, while others meandered 30% of the time. Ford's complete press release is available after the jump.
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