Nowadays it’s no longer a luxury to have a connected car. The cars of the 21st century have moved beyond having infotainment systems that are uncooperative towards having features that meet almost all driver needs.
While having all this technology available has been great for car companies and consumers, some have found it quite distracting.
Research shows that some drivers are even disabling safety features. Others have reported that some of the car technology can be distracting.
These features have in some cases also shown to give drivers a false sense of security.
Some of the new car technology leading to more distracted driving:
- Warning features when drifting between lanes
- Self-parking
- Adaptive cruise control
- Auto braking
- Collision warning systems
While all of the above-mentioned features have been ground-breaking in terms of development, they have also proven to cause problems for some people who may prefer to think for themselves when on the road.
For instance, for a new driver who is just learning the different challenges that they may encounter when parking, having a self-parking feature may be more of a hindrance. Instead of taking their time and learning the art of measuring the right angles, this feature may do all of the work for them, leaving them in a worse off position.
Having an infotainment system with GPS can be great for avoiding getting lost. But it also has some negative effects, such as being distracting while programming is done on the road. By taking their eyes off the road for more than a second or two, some drivers could be distracted.
Using their discretion is something that many drivers still enjoy doing.
Having new car technology leading to more distracted driving is something that car manufacturers will want to avoid as much as possible with each new design.