At a recent conference, a researcher from the United Kingdom-based MIRA voiced his concerns about the proliferation of apps that have the potential to distract drivers from their immediate environment, and his opinion is likely shared by anyone who has seen a driver looking down at their phone rather than focusing on the road.
He explained that as more and more information becomes available to a driver through such apps, we must constantly strive to figure out the best way to convey those details. Apps that highlight how much fuel is being consumed by a vehicle, for instance, can remove a driver’s eyes from the road, and that is unacceptable.
The chief electrical engineer for Aston Martin was also on hand to offer his thoughts on the matter. He seems to be in favor of a proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which asks automakers to cut back on in-cabin systems which have the potential to distract a driver. He believes that compliance will follow in the UK if for nothing else than British carmakers opting to come into line with America.
That individual also sees opportunity in a proposal to instill a limit on how loud interior sounds can be. Such a move to cut down on excessive noise from a radio or navigation system would hopefully enable drivers to properly identify outside sounds that could be indicative of an emergency or a need to take evasive action.