Here’s why too much in-car tech can make vehicles unsafe

Automakers have crammed increasingly complex features on board, overloading drivers’ brains with information and entertainment. This can easily lead to distraction while the vehicle is in motion.

Today’s vehicles are loaded with features in the in-car infotainment system and the drivers behind the wheels have easy access to all of these features, which means they can be easily distracted. While driving, the person behind the wheel can scroll through the Spotify app to choose the perfect album for the trip or can answer an incoming call or text.

While choosing an album or answering a call, they can easily get carried away and not fully concentrate on the road, perhaps getting closer to the edge of the lane. They might also miss watching pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles as their attention is divided between the road and in-vehicle features.

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And as if that weren’t enough, automakers have only cram more and more complex features on board, making it easier to distract drivers by overloading their brains with information and entertainment when they should be concentrating. on the road to avoid any incident, say some safety experts. . “This is a major and growing problem,” Ian Jack, head of public affairs at the Canadian Automobile Association, told The Canadian Press.

The association plans to launch a warning campaign against distracted driving. “It’s getting harder and harder for people to deal with these things inside their vehicle,” added Jack. Independent studies have shown that even simple activities like eating or talking to a co-passenger can also distract drivers enough to hamper their ability to respond to emergency situations. .

Recently, Tesla agreed to stop drivers from playing video games on the console while the car is in motion after U.S. traffic safety regulators opened an investigation into the matter. The agency said the option to activate “Passenger Play” on the main screen while driving made drivers susceptible to distraction and increased the risk of accidents.

Date of first publication: January 24, 2022, 11:19 a.m. IST