6 Ways To End Distracted Driving
If you've kept up with coverage of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, you know that auto technology is undergoing some dramatic changes. True, flying cars and plasma drives are still a bit further down the road, but the way we interact with our vehicles today is miles from what it used to be.
However, with all these changes and improvements come countless dangers -- notably, the danger of distracted driving. Once upon a time, the biggest preoccupations for drivers involved keeping the kids quiet in the back seat or finding the right button on the 8-track player. Now, we have phone calls, text messages, emails, and apps to juggle.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has been very vocal about his desire to curb distracted driving and limit drivers' access to mobile phones. Automakers are trying to develop technology to address such concerns, while simultaneously acknowledging that mobile phones are an important part of modern life.
We've taken a long, hard look at the offerings on view Detroit and elsewhere, and from where we sit, there are six possible solutions to the problem of distracted driving:
1. Turning off the phone: Fat chance. We can't even get our moms to stop texting, and they grew up using rotary-dials and drinking bromides. You think their grandkids are going to willingly put down their mobiles? Only if they're automatically disabled -- which sounds like a recipe for shrinking sales and potential lawsuits.
2. Better smartphone integration: Nearly every car on the road these days can be integrated with a smartphone. Even older models can be retrofitted with a stereo system offering an auxiliary jack for listening to tunes and such. But phones are small, and interacting with them requires a lot of squinting and looking down. Plus, they're handheld, and they tend to do terrible things, like tumble to the floor. Until someone amends the law of gravity, using the smartphone as a command center will be an imperfect solution, no matter how great the interface or pairing mechanism may be.
3. Voice control: This is probably the most popular solution to distracted driving that's being bandied about today, since many believe that controlling infortainment and other systems by voice command is less distracting than using touch screens. (Even LaHood is comfy with the idea of hands-free calls -- at least for now.) Voice-controlled systems have been gaining in popularity in recent years, boosted in part by the launch of the iPhone 4S and the Siri personal assistant. Many in-car systems from Ford SYNC to the upcoming Cadillac CUE are capable of responding to spoken commands.
But voice control raises some concerns -- and not just because people are worried about embedding a HAL 9000 unit in their dashboards. Studies have shown that hands-free calling is no safer than making phone calls with a handheld device. Translation: anytime you're talking, whether it's to a caller or your car, it's a distraction. Moreover, voice recognition in its current state is far from perfect, so users often have to repeat themselves, which can make the technology more frustrating, cumbersome, and distracting.
4. Gestural control: First, came the Wii, then the Xbox Kinect, and now, people can't get enough of gestural technology. There's the idea that somehow waving a hand or poking a finger is somehow safer than reaching over and flipping a dial. And that, of course, is ridiculous. For all the problems inherent to voice-recognition, at least calling out commands lets drivers keep both hands on the wheel.
5. Heads-up displays: This technology is so new, we're not prepared to make a call on it just yet. However, as beautiful as tech like the Mercedes-Benz augmented reality windshield may be, it seems a little intrusive.
6. Autonomous vehicles: This is the holy grail of vehicle technology, and if/when it rolls out, it would effectively make distracted driving a non-issue. We'll tell our cars where we want to go, and they'll get us there, while we kick back and enjoy a nice half hour of Farmville. Or a nap.
Google is testing its autonomous vehicles now, and other rides -- like GM's EN-V concept -- have similar technology embedded. But self-driving vehicles are a long way off. Not only does the technology require a lot of development, but roadways require a good bit of infrastructure improvements. After all, in order for cars to know when to slow down in traffic, they'll need to have an idea of when traffic lights are changing, to know when emergency vehicles are approaching, and so on.
As you can see, there's no perfect solution to the problem of distracted driving -- not yet, anyway. For now, the best we can do is to be aware of the dangers and to exert some self-control by putting our phones, tablets, and other distractions away.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Best Buy, Not Dealerships, To Oversee Ford Focus Electric Home Chargers
The 220-volt home-charging stations that make electric-car ownership a lot easier—and possible, for heavy commuters—are admittedly more like home appliances than traditional auto accessories.
But it's still a bit surprising that Ford [NYSE: F] has chosen Best Buy, rather than its dealerships, to supervise deployment and installation of home charging stations for the 2012 Ford Focus Electric, which was officially revealed in production form today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
In a move that makes sense but might keep customers from seeking help from the Ford dealership as much as they otherwise might, Best Buy is also handling warranty and repair for the charging station. Focus Electric owners will be able to purchase the stations through 1,200 Best Buy stores across the U.S. or through the Best Buy website, then the retailer's Geek Squad service and support crew will schedule an electrical audit and professional installation.
Unlike the charging station for the 2011 Nissan Leaf, the Ford charging station won't be a permanent home installation; it plugs into a 240-volt drier-style outlet and can be removed when needed—such as when the owner moves.
Ford has said that with the 240-volt, charging system, permitting the system's 32-amp maximum capability, the Focus Electric will charge fully in as little as three to four hours—about half the time of the Nissan Leaf. That comes thanks to the 6.6-kW on-board charger.
The price for the home charger, at $1,499 with a standard installation, is also substantially less than that of the Nissan Leaf.
When the connector is plugged into the Focus Electric's charge port, a light ring illuminates to show a proper connection, then the ring lights up in quadrants to show the approximate stage of charge completion.
The Focus Electric, which goes on sale late this calendar year, will offer enough range to satisfy the needs of most driving Americans, Ford says, and is emphasizing the driving experience more than Nissan has with the Leaf. Top speed for the Focus Electric, in final specs revealed at CES, is 84 mph.
This isn't the first time Best Buy's name has been mentioned at CES. GM's OnStar just announced the other day that its hardware would be available for purchase for non-GM vehicles at the electronics retailer's stores.
[Ford]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2009 BMW 7 Series: Gadget Freak
We've told you about why its styling erases the bad memories of big Bangle butts and shown you acres of photos of its newly reinvigorated shape. But before we unleash our final verdict on the 2009 BMW 7 Series here at TheCarConnection.com, there's one final post that has to be, er, posted. It's all about the breathtaking amount of technogoodies ladled on the new car.
The latest version of the BMW 7 Series may have more in-car electronics than a Best Buy. Now, though, iDrive unenthusiasts can breathe a little easier since it's grown more mature and more user-friendly. There's a rash of new computer-processed features too, but most of them are not difficult to learn to use--and some of its cutting-edge entertainment and luxo-tech features have become intuitive.
A friendlier iDrive
One of the features that did more to cloud the last 7 Series' reputation was iDrive, a controller that was intended to replace a vast array of buttons and switches with a single knob that spun, clicked, and whirled its way through radio, climate control, and navigation functions. It worked about as well as a street map in Tokyo--no matter how you tried to direct it, you always ended up somewhere else through no fault of your own.
This time around, iDrive's been gutted down to the studs, with a mostly new logical flow. The base screen gives more discrete options for functions like climate control and navigation--more like Audi's Multi-Media Interface, which has really lit the way for more usable controllers like iDrive and Mercedes' COMAND. There's simply less whirling and clicking to get to some functions; tilting the controller right in navigation, for example, gives you a choice of views (like three-dimensional flyovers, a favorite) while rotating enables radio presets to fly by. On the old iDrive, it was a challenge simply to find a way to click through the AM band.
Another big improvement--and one that runs counter to the original iDrive mission--is the addition of more buttons. You're only one click away now from navigation, audio, or phone functions from the buttons arranged around the iDrive controller; there's also a "back" button and two more programmable keys (for a total of eight). The new switches completely clear up the intent of iDrive for newbies. It's not a single device to replace other devices; it's a navigational aid to wade through the 7 Series' web of controls. If you treat it like a web browser, it acts like one.
Fear of a black panel?
One of the arguments for the iDrive system, BMW engineers say, over touchscreen systems is that it enables drivers to keep their eyes on the road ahead and on the gauges. The new 7 Series tries even harder to steer drivers away from the big 10-inch main screen with a new set of "black panel" gauges that change from minimal instrument outlines to a full-blown display with car information readouts, navigation instructions, and music playlists.
On the black panel, the basic layout is simply a digital simulation of four big circular gauges, with needle and scale markings. Opening the door enables the readout for fuel economy and range; pushing the Start button calls up other functions and any relevant warning lights. On the road, the driver can toggle around for all sorts of information, even the need for a service call. Essentially, it's another workaround for iDrive, and it works neatly.
The combination of iDrive and gauges gets even more intimate when the optional head-up display is ordered. Drivers can use the display to choose music or to place a call without shifting their glance from the road. The GPS also puts arrow displays into the head-up display--something my co-pilot and I found very useful wending our way into the reconstructed center of Dresden, Germany.
A little action on the side
Safety gets an intense makeover in the new 7 Series, too. Atop the expected stuff--active cruise control and night vision--the new 7er adds a raft of camera- and radar-enabled gear to help prevent accidents in ways your pitiful human sense organs just can't match.
One of the more useful additions is an update to Park Distance Control that now includes a little side action. With a pair of sideview cameras embedded in the 7 Series' bumpers, it's a little easier to gauge your way in and out of tight parking spots. The camera views are displayed on the dash screen as you negotiate your departure as above; a rearview camera also feeds in its information in high resolution. All the cameras disengage at about 5 kilometers per hour, by our observation.
For U.S.-bound 7 Series, there will also be a Driver Assistance Package as an option. Blind-spot detection is bundled in this group; it uses radar sensors to bleep alerts when objects approach in blind spots, and a triangular warning light also appears in the rearview mirror. A lane departure warning will vibrate the steering wheel if you cross a road stripe without signaling. And with the new High Beam Assist, the 7 Series switches automatically between low and high beams.
On top of all this, there's also a speed-limit detection system available in Europe that uses road signs to alert drivers--but the variations in signage in the United States keep it from being offered in American-market 7 Series sedans.
The (rear) seat of power
We're getting closer to nirvana in the 7 Series, and that's because you play your own music in more ways than ever before. If there's a format that BMW has left on the cutting-room floor we're unaware of it; the new 7 Series will let you import up to 13GB of your CDs, DVDs, iPod, or MP3-player music into its 40GB hard drive or play it in any of those formats.
There's more: USB drives are legitimate input devices, too, as are Sirius Satellite Radio and HD Radio. For square pegs, AM and FM are still there, buried somewhere in iDrive's bin of goodies. All of the formats can be accessed through the controller, too--a duplicate of which resides in the rear-seat armrest, allowing backseat passengers to choose their own media for the twin LCD screens embedded in the rear of the front seat headrests. Game systems can be plugged in back there as well. Riders can choose their own climate settings, too, since the 7 Series offers four-zone climate control.
Google conquers Europe
Last and the biggest tease of all is Web access, the 7er's most innovative feature and one that unfortunately gets left off U.S. cars. European 7 Series owners can opt for Internet access for the backseat screens on the fly--everything from Google Maps to open Web browsing. In the U.S., only Google Maps will be enabled as a part of BMW's ConnectedDrive system--you'll be able to search Google at home or on the navigation screen, plug in a destination and send it to your 7 Series' navigation system. How's that for planning ahead?
And in case you get confused by the myriad options and functions in the car, BMW's placed its owner's manual inside its computerized brain. The "Integrated Owner's Manual" can be accessed through iDrive and played as a slideshow. You can even program iDrive keys to shortcut to different sections of the owner's manual.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
