Weapons of mass distraction: In-dash entertainment systems

January 4, 3:41 PMGadgets ExaminerDan Appleman

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Motevo has a line of in-dash navigation
and entertainment systems

A few days ago I wrote about the Dashboard Devices ENV system. Imagine my surprise when the day four spot on the CES 30 days of innovation countdown went to another in-dash entertainment system, this time by Motevo. Winner of the most annoying website design of any of the vendors I’ve seen to date (I hate sites with sound effects in general, and despise those without a very clear way of turning the sound off), the products nonetheless look full-featured, with everything from GPS navigation to DVD players and Bluetooth built in.

But this let me to wonder…

Once upon a time, a car radio was… well, a car radio. Since then car electronics have become more and more sophisticated, and a battle between electronics vendors and safety advocates over the attention of drivers began. Electronics vendors keep developing more powerful devices for use in cars, while safety advocates keep proving those devices increase the risk of accidents and state legislatures follow up by regulating their use.

Consider some examples:

Cell phones have proven such a distraction that many states now require use of hands-free devices. Yet other studies suggest that it’s the act of conversing on the phone that is the distraction, and that hands-free devices do not substantially reduce the risk of getting into an accident.

GPS systems bring up warnings when they power on – with many built-in models preventing drivers from making changes to settings while the car is in motion. So even GPS makers acknowledge the distraction potential of the devices. But GPS systems can also reduce the level of distraction by eliminating the need to search for street signs or juggle maps while driving.

What about DVDs in the car? Aren’t they great for keeping the kids entertained on long trips? Of course they are – and ceiling mounted DVD players that can be viewed from the back seat are great for this, as are handheld devices. But an in-dash DVD player? How would that not distract a driver?

The primary responsibility of a driver is to drive. I would be a lot more enthusiastic about all of these innovative new in-dash entertainment systems and computers if I had confidence that they were not ultimately increasing the risk to the drivers who use them, not to mention those of us who share the highways with them.