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US Safety Administration cautions against use of moving maps
Article by: Darren Griffin
Date: 23 Mar 2012
The US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued the first ever guidelines for in-car electronic devices, in a bid to reduce driver distraction.
The weighty tome, catchily titled "Visual-Manual NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines for In-Vehicle Electronic Devices" is aimed at car makers, and sets out the (for now voluntary) criteria for the use of electronic devices.
Amongst a long list of recommendations including positioning of displays, access to services such as telephony, internet, and text based information screens, Section V.5.b also have this to say on the subject of satnav, "dynamic, continuously moving maps are not recommended."
So the NHTSA want to turn back the clock and have us return to static turn graphics instead of having your live position indicated on a moving map. Their advice goes on to say that images should be static or updated no more than once every few seconds.
Sensible safety based idea or more evidence of nanny state? One thing is for sure, this may be voluntary now, but it would only take a few law suits in this famously litigious country to make this stuff mandatory.
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 Posted by matthewj on Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:46 am |
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"or updated no more than once every few seconds". That would be far more dangerous. When I approach a junction, I will often glance to check where I'm going and the general layout. It's a glance, and it informs me. If I thought "hmm, it isn't updated with the current info yet, I'll keep watching the screen for the next refresh to get the latest update", I'd be at risk of not glancing any more but having to concentrate on the device.
No normal user of satnav "watches" the screen continuously. Anyone who is driving by the satnav instead of looking out of the window is going to be having accidents anyway. Satnav should not be ruined because some people are stupid.
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| Posted by tsans on Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:41 am |
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| matthewj Wrote: | | Satnav should not be ruined because some people are stupid. |
Couldn't agree more. Unfortunately many things are ruined due to laws brought in because a minority of people are stupid.
I say just let natural selection take its course. Much simpler with a better resolution ;-)
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| Posted by dcw on Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:43 am |
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What a ridiculous recommendation. A properly operating satnav system liberates the driver from mavigation problems and allows him or her to concentrate on the everyday hazards of the roads instead of peering at road nameplates and direction signs. A moving map allows the driver to take in the relevant information at a glance rather than staring at the screen as if it were a traditional paper map and today's crowded roads and fast moving traffic often present complex issues for the driver. Try telling a jet pilot or the captain of a ship that their navigation equipment should be deliberately impaired and get their view of the likely effect on safety. You have to wonder whether the people who make these recommendations have ever used a satnav or if they can even drive! They should be thinking about more ways to provide pertinent in-car information to drivers rather than cluttering up their field of vision with more and more reading material in the form of road signs which are sometines closely packed along the verge and obscured by high sided vehicles at the crucial moment.
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| Posted by Andy_P on Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:05 am |
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| News Team Wrote: | .....updated no more than once every few seconds.
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That's no problem.....
Load up a TomTom with plenty of POIs and a TTS voice, get it to play an mp3 and try to connect to Traffic....
Simples! 
"Settling in nicely" ;-) |
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| Posted by DennisN on Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:05 pm |
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| dcw Wrote: | | What a ridiculous recommendation. A properly operating satnav system liberates the driver from mavigation problems and allows him or her to concentrate on the everyday hazards of the roads instead of peering at road nameplates and direction signs.................. |
What an excellent post, if you don't mind me saying so. Last week I drove over 1,600 miles by satnav - except that for most of the time, the initial overview gave me the first couple of hours without caring - sort of M4, M3,M25 (I know that route off by heart) until it says "After 2 miles take the exit." Then quick glances and I'm a happy bunny.
Dennis
If it tastes good - it's fattening.
Two of them are obesiting!! |
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| Posted by Guivre46 on Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:26 pm |
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If you are moving then by definition any map format you are using is also moving as you refer to your journey's progress.
Mike R [aka Wyvern46]
Go 530T - unsupported
Go550 Live [not renewed]
Kia In-dash Tomtom |
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| Posted by M8TJT on Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:47 pm |
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Which way does a paper map move then 
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| Posted by Guivre46 on Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:23 am |
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Well for want of a better term, from waypoint to waypoint as you select your next navigation objective and check your progress towards it?
Mike R [aka Wyvern46]
Go 530T - unsupported
Go550 Live [not renewed]
Kia In-dash Tomtom |
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Arrgh.
