The Joy Of Text

The result was part of a study commissioned by Ford to underscore the safety issue -- as the company prepares to introduce its SYNC in-car connectivity system, which can read aloud incoming messages through a text-to-speech feature and enables drivers to send a text reply by voice from a predetermined list of responses.

Despite the prevalence of the practice, drivers agreed overwhelmingly that reading texts on the move was dangerous. Ninety-five per cent of drivers thought that texting affected driver ability and safety.

At least half of those surveyed said they believed driver response was 50 per cent slower when checking messages from a mobile phone.

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"Smartphones have quickly become an essential part of many people's day," said Christof Kellerwessel, chief engineer, Electronic and Electrical Systems Engineering, Ford of Europe.

"However, text messages can be a distraction for drivers, so the benefit of a system that can read messages aloud from compatible smartphones is obvious."

Ford SYNC will debut  on the new B-MAX and will roll out to other vehicles in Ford's lineup, including Focus and Kuga. The text-to-speech feature on SYNC, powered by Microsoft, retrieves messages using a simple voice command from Bluetooth-connected compatible smartphones.

SYNC also enables drivers to send a text reply from a predetermined list of responses, such as "See you in 10 minutes"  helping motorists to remain focused on driving while staying in touch with contacts.