Studies funded by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety revealed that voice-activated tech can become a source of distraction while driving, according to Fox News.
For the studies, researchers from the University of Utah referred to Apple's Siri and the voice-activated infotainment features found in most of today's vehicles.
The car feature lets drivers control components of the dashboard such as tuning the radio through voice commands while Siri allows users to send text messages, make phone calls or get directions while keeping their hands on the wheel.
These two systems were designed to ensure the safety of drivers because they don't have to take their eyes off the road to operate them.
In the studies, both systems were graded by the researchers based on a distraction scale of one to five. One represents no distractions while a rating of five is comparable to solving complex math problems.
The two systems were tested out by 162 participants inside a laboratory, a driving simulator and while driving inside an actual neighborhood.
According to the results of the tests, Apple's Siri got a rating of 4.14 while Chevrolet's MyLink infotainment system received a grade of 3.7
David Strayer, leader of the research team, explained that the distraction of the drivers stemmed from the frustration that they felt while using the voice-activated devices, NY Times reported.
Most of the test participants felt annoyed because the devices did not follow their commands properly even though they pronounced the words as clearly as they could.
Strayer noted that as drivers became more focused getting their voice-activated devices to work properly, they become less concerned about their driving. In other words, these systems can affect the driver's level of concentration or the mental aspect of driving.
For Jake Nelson, the director of AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, tech companies and auto manufacturers need to improve their methods in order to deliver a truly effective safety feature to consumers, according to PBS.
"I think the industry has a responsibility to do whatever they can to make sure that the products that they develop are as safe as possible to use," he said. "We have identified through our research several ways that industry can pursue that. And there's obviously a responsibility that all of us have."
"Just because technology enables us to do things behind the wheel doesn't mean that we should do it," Nelson added. "So hang up the phone. Drive. Focus on that very important task."