Consumers Want Dangerous In-Car Distractions
WardsAutomotive reports from the floor of [their very own] Automotive Interiors Show that electronics supplier Continental AG is in love with Vegas, baby. "What happens outside the car should also happen inside the car,” company rep Brian Droessler told the throngs. Huh? "The Internet in cars is coming," Droessler explains. "People want it.” So what about safety? "Continental’s new dual-mode display screen situated in a vehicle’s center stack. Based on the angle of the viewers, the screen shows one image to the driver and another to the front-seat passenger, without either person seeing what the other is viewing." In other words, the driver can look at maps and arrows while the passenger watches a Savannah Sampson movie. (Needless to say, the display system will be available in the U.S. in 2010.) No seriously. Safety is serious. Hence another Ward's article on in-car info overload. "Twenty-two percent of car accidents or near-accidents are due to non-driving related distractions, says Steve Polakowski, executive director-advanced interiors and electrical/electronics systems for Magna International Inc.’s Decoma International subsidiary." But really, we heart toys! Hence another article on a new sat nav system that predicts traffic jams, and routes (BMW?) drivers accordingly. Mixed messages? Nah. Just caring and sharing. [NB: equal time was given to fans of Eric Stromer.]
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I'm thinking that downblouseamateur is seeing a small spike in traffic right about now. No double entendre intended.
OK strange question; what kind of car is that? show's my priorities! Nice, very Nice!
What's a lexicon? Speaking of distractions, and hopefully without reinforcing any stereotypes, I breaked the other day at a four way stop just after I had begun to move. An SUV drove through the intersection, sailing past the nose of my car...driven by a women looking in the vanity mirrow, diligently applying mascara. Just to even things out, I was forced onto the shoulder by some dude in an SUV steering with his knees while he used this thumbs to type away on his Blackberry. People do not need more distractions.
All I see is another reason to drive an automatic.