Ford SYNC Reduces Driver Distractions

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of testing out a Ford Escape Hybrid equipped with SYNC.   A study was just released showing that Ford SYNC actually helped reduced driver distractions,. reducing eyes-off-the-road from 25 seconds down to 2 seconds. I can totally see this, especially once the driver becomes comfortable with the voice commands. My biggest struggle with voice commands had to do with the Navigation, and that was more understanding how to speak numbers:

A new Ford study shows that the SYNC hands-free connectivity system, which recently earned Popular Mechanics’ Editor’s Choice Award for best new products, significantly reduces the level of distraction when drivers select a phone number or choose a song on their MP3 player compared with the same operations with hand-held cell phones and music players.

For example, the research conducted by Ford Motor Company shows study participants spent an average of 25 seconds with their eyes-off-the-road to select a song with a handheld MP3 player compared with 2 seconds for those choosing a song using SYNC.

SYNC allows drivers to connect almost any mobile phone or digital media player with their vehicle (via Bluetooth or USB connection). The driver is able to operate them by using voice commands and a steering wheel-mounted control.