This is one of the reasons I'm annoyed by TrafficMasters decision to stop Oracle / Freeway in June 2012.

Oracle and Freeway has the advantage of talking to you so you keep your eyes on the road. Integrated units even mute the radio whilst it's doing so.

My RDS-TMC SatNav traffic display has to be scrutinised to take in what it's displaying.

DashCam:
Viofo A119 V3

Indeed, another retrograde step.

Darren Griffin

This strikes me as an article that was written with a view to proving a point. It has picked on all of the disadvantages that modern technology has introduced. It has failed to consider the driver aids that it provides.

Take sat-nav for example. Yes, it can be distracting if used incorrectly. Used properly, you can simply listen to the voice prompts and (where there's any ambiguity) follow the arrow. Looking for street signs and house numbers is a lot more distracting than occasionally glancing at your navigation screen.

Integrated Bluetooth lets you make and receive calls without taking your hands off the steering wheel. True, it'd be safer still if people didn't phone while driving at all, but the fact that they do is a reality that we're probably stuck with from here on in.

CD changers, and latterly MP3 memory stick players have taken away the temptation to swap cassettes and CDs while the vehicle is moving. One of the very first Police Stop videos showed a Mini crashing into a parked car. Apparently the driver was changing cassettes.

Going off on a tangent, I'm also mourning the loss of TrafficMaster (the YQ2 in my case.) But I don't hold a grudge against TrafficMaster themselves. I don't know about the Freeway but the YQ and YQ2 used to receive their data from the old Cellnet pager network. When that service was finally axed, it became impossible to continue the service.

There's always the option of TrafficTV if you have a compatible smartphone, though the YQ had a much clearer display and was a lot easier to use.

TomTom GO700
Renault Carminat TomTom
TrafficMaster YQ2 (now forcibly retired, and sadly missed.)

When you still see people using hand-held phones in cars whilst driving and the police don't do anythingwhen they see that this sort of law becomes pointless. I have seen someone jump a red light whilst using a phone and the police car that was in front of me and should have seen it didn't do anything it makes most of these sort of laws pointless.

Yes drivers shouldn't be distracted but there are also sorts of things that affect a driver. An arguement with the wife, money problems and so on. Are they also going to be outlawed?

I was going along a motorway recently and a woman (who was driving) was looking/leaniong in to the back of the car to "entertain" a baby. So are baby seats going to be banned? Of course not.

Most of these proposals are impractical and affect only a few people who would probably be distracted by something anyway.

I would have to say it can be a good thing if done right take a look at this web http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-10-head-up-prize-munich.html

I think Pocket GPS did do a revue on it,
this has to be one the better ones out there just think how many time have you just looked at that radio or on board satnav just that second could be a distraction.

even with hands free, there is only so much room on a steering wheel to put more buttons on it, and now we have 4 storks coming out every where.

AUTOMATION of the car is the only way left for us gadget fans.
lights, windscreen wipers, fog, braking, are all auto turned on or off.(but you TILL HAVE TO INDICATE YOUR INTENTIONS) telepathy is still not understood

satNav are available with voice controlled, so are PHONES(so putting it on speaker and holding it, is still not hands free( i see them every day siting at the GREEN light txting away with there head down ,I just slowly pull away so they don't notice, then all the cars start beeping at them.

so in conclusion at this time, we can maintain full control of the car with out taking your hand off of the wheel and with out looking to see what radio station your on, and be safe and not distracted.[/img]

I think one of the factors be overlooked here is too much information can be a bad thing. Comments here talk about devices that improve our ability to drive but then having too many of them can be a hazzard too. See people who put there satnav in the centre of the windsheild and obscure their vision, then have a seperate handsfree, then there's my mp3 player, not to mention the wife. Even with something like headup display you could also overload the driver with information and clever graphics and create the same problem. The temptation for manufacturers is to sell advertising space could also be too great.

I think integration is the way to go as Darren said, but I also think we sometimes need to get rid of the fluff and simplify things.

Dom

HERE LIES PND May it rest in peace.
Navigon 7310/iPhone Navigon&Copilot