These days, the sight of drivers with phones pressed to their ears is all too familiar. Unfortunately, though, the problems posed by such behavior are mounting. Some call it an epidemic, others say it's worse than drunken driving.
One solution to the dilemma would be to outlaw use of distracting technologies in the vehicle. But the question is, which technologies would you outlaw? Phones? Music players? Navigation systems?
In truth, consumers will have none of it. When the National Traffic Safety Board called for the "first-ever nationwide ban on portable electronic devices" earlier this year, the proposal was greeted with nationwide derision.
That's why automakers and suppliers are taking it upon themselves to improve the safety of devices that they're building and putting into vehicles.
Click on the photo below to see 14 examples of how car companies are studying the problem of driver distraction and how they propose to solve it.
The Ford Escape employs Integrated Blind Spot Mirrors to make it easier for users to see "blind spot drivers" while keeping their eyes on the road. (Source: Ford Motor Co.)
All these solutions are still part of the problem: visual distraction. The system should be voice recognition with audio response. Then your eyes are always on the road where they belong.
Back when rally racing was aired in the USA, I thought it fascinating that rally racers have navigators that could reference a map if need and tell the driver exactly what is coming up while traveling around 100mph on a usually unpaved road. I think a system like this is a better answer than proximity switches and voice recognition devices. The driver has the option of muting the audio, but it comes back on as soon as a button on the dash is pressed unless the stereo is on and it would tell the driver straight-away and turn information using GPS and the car has a device that can notify the driver of objects around the car and notify the driver of there speed and distance from them. All this could use road sign style symbols on the HUD and the stereo speaker system to notify the driver.
Make cars less safe? Hilarious!! I'm lucky enough to be in Generation-X and remember cars that didn't have seatbelts but love the new technology too. One of my best memories growing up is playing with dolls in the back of my mom's Pinto. The big window was awesome!
I don't know if kids today are missing out on the fun but there has to be an in between. Technology needs a balance of personal responsibility on the users part in order to progress.
Yes, Chuck, I was so impressed by the hands-free voice recognition, it makes me wonder why so much effort is being put into the systems in your slide show. Although, the systems in your slide show are pretty cool to see.
The coffee icon made me laugh. Can you imagine if somebody borrows your car and they don't know what the coffee icon is supposed to mean? They might start checking the cup holder for a fresh brew.
I have to disagree with you about haptic feed back being useful here for secondary controls. Haptics in touch screens inform the user they touched the screen, but you still have to look at it to see what specific spot was touched because a touch screen feels the same all over.
My opinion: Secondary controls (audio and climate, lights, etc.) should not require fine muscle control to operate and should be identifiable in peripheral vision and by touch. Neither is possible with a touch screen. Touch screens should be left to control only those things that are normally set and left alone.
I can see modifying my opinion regarding voice control, but I've not had experience with it yet.
I use voice recognition Blue Tooth linked speakerphones in my vehicles to provide full control of my cell phone which can remain in my pocket. And I've always had 2-way radios which require the use of a hand held microphone with a push to talk switch. In both instances with a little practice, one can minimize the degree of distraction by cultivating good multi-tasking habits. Problem is, you do have to practice to hone those skills. And recent studies have shown that even a hands free cellular conversation is a distraction from the primary task of driving. The more we multi-task, the less cognitive power is available for each task.
So, the best way to compensate for a reduction in road environment/vehicle control awareness is to add technology that will raise safety margins by adding some self piloting capability to the vehicle itself.
Bdcst, you make a great point that even a hands-free phone conversation can distract the driver. I find it interesting that conversations between the driver and a passenger doesn't seem to distract the driver -- but a hands-free phone call does. I think it's because the passenger is also watching the road and will suspend the conversation during high-attention driving moments. Someone at the other end of the phone call won't be aware of the moments the driver needs undivided attention. That's my theory.
How about integrating the sensor information into a system that is already installed but could give natural awareness cues that don't distract your vision - the car stereo. When you are in an open car (convertable or windows open) or on a motorcycle you have the sounds of an adjacent car to warn when one is (or could be ) in a blind spot. How about taking the proximity sensor data (piezo or camera?) and generating a synthetic adjacent car sound into the surround sound system of the car stereo? If done intelligently it could provide the cues needed to maintain spacing without having the windows down and incurring the loss of a/c and other problems.
The argument will be: "Judge I was unaware of falling asleep. The car manufacturer is liable in that I did not see the coffee mug light up when my eyes closed."
But I digress, none of this will matter as cars will become autonomous. Until cars are called autoautomobiles, the distraction from electonics will remain a distraction.
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