Campbell: Dashboard computers are cause for safety concerns

Drivers pretty much agree that it is unacceptable to set up a laptop in the front seat and surf… Drivers pretty much agree that it is unacceptable to set up a laptop in the front seat and surf Wikipedia while driving along the parkway.

The government insists that “texting” while driving is a big no-no, and some states have even banned the use of cell phones without Bluetooth headsets.

But car companies have realized that despite the impetus to reduce distractions while driving, car buyers want more and more interactive content to integrate into their driving experience. The American public no longer wants just an AM radio in the dashboard.

Drivers want to be able to pull up information about their destinations and wanttheir cars to suggest particular destinations.

If you’re hungry while driving, you do, after all, want the most gourmet food on the market, and it would be fantastic if your Audi could point you in the right direction.

A recent article in The New York Times describes several of the somewhat startling new trends in automotive computing that are being showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in New York.

Many of the new trends appear to be aimed at those of us who would just love to drive around with a laptop sitting on the passenger seat, save for the fact that it’s probably illegal. For those people, the car companies simply moved the laptop to the dashboard.

The systems, labeled “infotainment systems,” range in complexity and safety features and span all price ranges of cars. Luxury car companies, logically, will provide the most complex and flashy systems. More moderately priced companies, namely Ford, will also provide dashboard computer systems.

Some of the systems allow drivers to pull up Wikipedia articles and text content while the car is in motion. They rely on a warning message that asks the driver to use discretion when choosing a time to load articles to maintain safety.

Others, like MyFord — Ford’s in-dash computer system — prevent users from surfing the Web until the car is stopped and the driver successfully shifts to park.

So what started this apparent revolution of including computer systems in cars?

As with most trends in the computer industry, the increasing abundance and decreasing overall cost of computer chips has a major impact. When computer chips were at a premium, computers in cars were reserved for only the most importance tasks, such as fuel injection, door locks and windows.

But as chips become more inexpensive, larger and more complex computers can be added to the car to take care of those “nice-to-have” features many drivers long for.

Chips will only get cheaper, and the computers that automobile manufacturers can include in dashboards will only get more complex.

This, of course, causes a problem. At what point do the dangers posed by driver distraction outweigh the “awesome” factor of having an Internet-enabled vehicle?

An Audi A8 can be a deadly weapon if the driver is moving 70 miles per hour and is engrossed in a scholarly exposé on Pittsburgh’s various venues for interpretive dance.

A nice balance will probably need to be met … eventually.

An in-dash computer can provide some services that are safe, especially when coupled with innovations like the automotive heads-up display.

Heads-up displays present information to users at eye level, allowing them to review information without taking their eyes off the road ahead of them. Some in-dash computer systems might actually improve safety.

A car computer that allows easy and hands-free calling services, similar to the OnStar service of General Motors, could let people keep a hand on the steering wheel to make a phone call. Voice-activated commands could similarly remove the need for texting while driving.

Using the Internet while driving might cause some problems, however. If drivers insist upon desiring the Internet above the radio, car companies might have to get clever in their safety checks.

I personally don’t see the value in having Wikipedia in my dashboard. I use computers too much as it is.