Is New Car Tech a Road Hazard?
Remember the ‘good old days’ of driving? Just you, the wheel, your eyes on the road, and maybe fighting with the radio knobs? Danielle Collis certainly does. Back then, the most advanced tech in her Ford Falcon Futura was switching from petrol to LPG. Today, our cars are practically spaceships, packed with technology promising to keep us safer than ever. But have we gone too far?
Are these hi-tech marvels truly making us safer, or are they turning into distractions that make driving more perilous?
The Rise of the Distraction:
Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS)
One of the most talked-about new safety features is Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS). This tech uses cameras and sensors to keep an eye on the driver’s attentiveness. Seems good, right? As someone who test-drove a Mitsubishi Triton with this feature, the reality wasn’t so great. The system alerts you if you glance away from the road, even for simple actions like adjusting cruise control or changing the radio station. This constant vigilance is a distraction.
Touchscreen Temptation
In-car entertainment is also a problem. New cars have touchscreens so big they could act as home theaters. Navigation, music streaming, and even social media are just a tap away. But every tap removes focus from driving. Fiddling with a touchscreen while you’re driving down the highway isn’t exactly safe.
The Button Battle
The humble physical button has largely been overshadowed by touchscreens and voice commands. However, a recent study by Vi Bilagare, a Swedish publication, shows that physical buttons reduce the time drivers take their eyes off the road.
Starting in 2026, the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) will require physical buttons for critical functions to achieve top safety ratings. This change will likely influence safety standards worldwide.
Texting and Tunes
Smartphone integrations like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supposed to make things safer by allowing hands-free phone use, yet they often encourage more interaction. Who hasn’t been tempted to read a text or check a notification, even with voice commands available? It’s like putting candy in front of a child and expecting them not to eat it.
Complacency on Cruise and Autonomous Driving
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) – lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control – are all fantastic and help drivers stay in their lane and keep a safe distance. These systems can lull drivers into a false sense of security. Complacency isn’t your friend when behind the wheel. ADAS can fail. Drivers need to be ready to take over control.
The push toward fully autonomous vehicles adds another layer to this debate. Autonomous systems are still being tested and they struggle with complex driving situations. Recent accidents involving Tesla’s Autopilot have made it clear: we can’t just sit back and let the car do all the work. Not yet, anyway.
Eye-Spy
Interior cameras are another area where the safety benefits are debated. These cameras can monitor the cabin for suspicious activity, prevent drowsy driving and help with DMS systems. However, they introduce distractions in their own right.
Take the Jeep Grand Cherokee L as an example. Its Fam Cam allows drivers to zoom in on specific seats – but this feature can cause drivers to take their eyes off the road to check on their kids.
Privacy and Data Collection Concerns
Aside from interior cameras being a distraction, privacy concerns have also been raised. In 2023, Tesla found itself in hot water when it was revealed that some employees had accessed and shared private footage from the cars’ internal cameras. What was supposed to be a safety feature turned into a privacy nightmare. This scandal highlights that new technologies like internal cameras need to be regulated.
The Verdict:
There’s no denying that technology has brought some significant safety improvements to cars. Automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and collision avoidance systems, these are all fantastic innovations that have saved lives. However, the trick is to strike the right balance between technological innovation and driver responsibility. It’s still your job to drive the car, not the other way around.
