Voice-activated technologies in cars is becoming increasingly more popular as it allows drivers to make calls, texts or even update their Facebook status message while driving. However, a new study shows that this technology is actually doing more harm than good.

New findings from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety show how dangerous mental distractions exist even when drivers keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. In the most comprehensive study of its kind, the study found that as mental workload and distractions increase, reaction time slows, brain function is compromised, and drivers scan the road less and miss visual clues.

This could potentially result in drivers being unable to see items right in front of them, such as stop signs or pedestrians.

With a predicted five-fold increase in infotainment systems in new vehicles by 2018, AAA is calling for action as result of this landmark research.

"There is a looming public safety crisis ahead with the future proliferation of these in-vehicle technologies," said AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. "It's time to consider limiting new and potentially dangerous mental distractions built into cars, particularly with the common public misperception that hands-free means risk-free."

The AAA commissioned the study from a University of Utah research team that has focused on distracted driving. The report can be found here.

"These new, speech-based technologies in the car can overload the driver's attention and impair their ability to drive safely," says psychology professor David Strayer. "Don't assume that if your eyes are on the road and your hands are on the wheel that you are unimpaired."

"We found that interacting with the speech-to-text system was the most cognitively distracting," Strayer added.

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