Research has found drivers travelling at 60km/h can cover 33 metres in just two seconds without looking at the road, with the frightening statistic sounding a warning about the dangers of increasingly distracting infotainment screens.

According to a study highlighted by RAC Western Australia, some modern infotainment systems are significantly more distracting than others, with drivers potentially taking their eyes off the road for several seconds to complete what should be easy tasks such as changing music, entering navigation destinations or making phone calls.

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The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has developed a free online Driver Distraction Tool that allows motorists to assess how distracting their vehicle’s infotainment system may be. Developed following research conducted by the University of Newcastle, the tool measures the number of steps required to complete common tasks using touchscreens, physical buttons and voice commands.

Researchers examined 12 infotainment systems, including those from BMW, Toyota and Tesla, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Using eye-tracking technology, they found significant differences in how much attention the systems demanded from drivers.

The worst-performing system required five times as many steps to complete tasks as the best, with drivers predicted to spend approximately six seconds looking away from the road compared with just over one second in the least distracting vehicle.

RAC Manager Vehicles and Fuels Alex Forrest warned that even briefly looking away from the road could have serious consequences. “Driver distraction is a significant road safety issue in WA. Alongside speed and fatigue, inattention is among the key risky driving behaviours that contribute to road crashes resulting in death or serious injury,” he said.

“If you take your eyes off the road for just two seconds at 60km/h, you’ve travelled 33 metres blind.”

While there is light at the end of the tunnel – safety organisations like ANCAP are now rewarding for physical buttons in their safety testing, which will likely promote change in this area – RAC recommends motorists familiarise themselves with their vehicle’s infotainment system before driving and enter navigation destinations while stationary until the return of more widespread physical buttons.

Australian drivers can use the free AAA Driver Distraction Tool to assess their own vehicle’s infotainment system and better understand the potential risks of using it on the road. The full research is available to read here.