The latest electronic innovations for cars help us quickly find destinations, park without denting bumpers, communicate with others and entertain passengers. While much of the on-board gadgetry is eye-catching, all of it adds to the distractions taking the attention of drivers off of the roads and other vehicles.
Some critics say the proliferation of electronic tools and devices laden with colorful graphics now populating our dashboards are making us worse drivers rather than better.
GPS: Going in a Dangerous Direction?
One of the most popular electronics devices is the GPS. New models feature audible driving directions and street names, as well as traffic updates, weather reports, fuel prices, movie times and Internet connections enabling you to search the White Pages for a good restaurant or other spot to stop — all while you’re driving your vehicle.
Research by a British insurance company found that one in 10 drivers with a GPS navigation system don’t input an address or route bef
ore they begin driving. Half of those drivers admit to entering that information into the system while driving.
Thermal Imaging Cameras: in the Dark
Want cutting-edge technology used in modern military systems? The FLIR Systems PathfindIR thermal imaging camera might be for you. The camera senses objects emitting heat ahead, enabling nighttime drivers using the system to spot pedestrians, kids, deer, oncoming traffic and other hazards up to four times sooner than they would using conventional headlights.
The problem with the system, critics say, is that users have to look at a dash-mounted screen rather than the road ahead, providing yet another dangerous distraction for drivers. Makers of the FLIR system insist the product is no more than dangerous than side mirrors or speedometers.
The systems are available as options on some luxury vehicles and as add-ons ranging in price from about $2,800 to $4,000.
Computers, DVD players, Cellphones
Police officers investigating crashes are finding more and more evidence of the electronic distractions we face behind the wheel. Some drivers try to catch up on office work or sports scores from their laptops or cellphones. Others have even been found to have been viewing movies on DVD players or computers.
Perhaps the most widely publicized electronic distraction is also the most popular: the ubiquitous cellphone. A mountain of evidence from the federal government and various universities all point to the same conclusion: using a cellphone makes drivers much less aware of their surroundings and therefore much more dangerous.
