Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Cramming into our phones the kind of processing power that computers from ten years ago could only dream of, and the advent of high-speed mobile internet connections inevitably make us prone to using this seemingly endless availability of information wherever we are.
Sometimes, that means even while sitting behind a steering wheel. Of course there are laws that forbid this kind of activities, but unless we want an Orwellian kind of state where all our moves are being watched and sanctioned, the law is helpless in front of the rapid speed with which smartphones are spreading.
Initially, car makers thought that integrating as many features of the phone into the car’s infotainment system would be the cure, essentially allowing drivers to leave the phone in their pocket while accessing its features via the car’s own interface. But that philosophy lasted only a few years, since it quickly became obvious that no matter how much of the content available on the phone the car’s system could reproduce, it still wouldn’t be all of it. And people wanted all of it.
Realizing this tendency is impossible to curb, the car makers are now heading towards the self-driving car as the ultimate way of enabling the driver to forget about driving and focus on surfing. So, there you have it: if you’re the kind of person opposing the idea of autonomous vehicles, at least you now know who to blame for it - it’s your trusted smartphone.
But regardless how evolved our phones are, the main activity involving mobile devices and driving continues to be texting. According to a report from the State Farm insurance company quoted by CNBC, 36% of the approximately 1,000 respondents admitted to texting while driving. Breathing down its neck from second spot was accessing the Internet, something no less than 29% of the subjects are doing on a regular basis. Next is reading social media with 21%, taking photos (probably to post on social media) with 19%, and recording a video with just 10%. We say “just,” but that means 100 people out of 1,000 record videos while driving.
Things aren’t as gloomy as they might sound, though, as most of these people only take out their phones while waiting in a traffic jam or at a stop, but we all know how technology addiction works. It starts like this and then it creeps up on you until you can’t function without knowing what’s new on Facebook. And then... bang, you’ve crashed.
The NHTSA says that 3,179 people died during 2014 due to accidents involving a distracted driver, but the number of minor bumps is probably huge. But salvation can only come in two ways, and you’re probably not going to like either one: the first requires people to forget about the “not going to happen to me” mantra and quit using the phone when driving, while the second is the introduction of a fully-autonomous car. Pick one.
Initially, car makers thought that integrating as many features of the phone into the car’s infotainment system would be the cure, essentially allowing drivers to leave the phone in their pocket while accessing its features via the car’s own interface. But that philosophy lasted only a few years, since it quickly became obvious that no matter how much of the content available on the phone the car’s system could reproduce, it still wouldn’t be all of it. And people wanted all of it.
Realizing this tendency is impossible to curb, the car makers are now heading towards the self-driving car as the ultimate way of enabling the driver to forget about driving and focus on surfing. So, there you have it: if you’re the kind of person opposing the idea of autonomous vehicles, at least you now know who to blame for it - it’s your trusted smartphone.
But regardless how evolved our phones are, the main activity involving mobile devices and driving continues to be texting. According to a report from the State Farm insurance company quoted by CNBC, 36% of the approximately 1,000 respondents admitted to texting while driving. Breathing down its neck from second spot was accessing the Internet, something no less than 29% of the subjects are doing on a regular basis. Next is reading social media with 21%, taking photos (probably to post on social media) with 19%, and recording a video with just 10%. We say “just,” but that means 100 people out of 1,000 record videos while driving.
Things aren’t as gloomy as they might sound, though, as most of these people only take out their phones while waiting in a traffic jam or at a stop, but we all know how technology addiction works. It starts like this and then it creeps up on you until you can’t function without knowing what’s new on Facebook. And then... bang, you’ve crashed.
The NHTSA says that 3,179 people died during 2014 due to accidents involving a distracted driver, but the number of minor bumps is probably huge. But salvation can only come in two ways, and you’re probably not going to like either one: the first requires people to forget about the “not going to happen to me” mantra and quit using the phone when driving, while the second is the introduction of a fully-autonomous car. Pick one.
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