Is In Car Entertainment Dangerous?
In recent years, the popularity of the iPod and smart phones has spawned a whole new market for in car accessories that compliment and augment the world of tech offered by these gadgets. This is great because it means we can stream and enjoy media not only when at home or strolling down the street, but also in our cars?
Authorities were quick to jump on the use of mobile phone usage in cars after research found that those talking or even texting on their mobiles while driving were far more likely to have an accident than those paying full attention to the road. Use of a bluetooth car kit to answer a call hands-free was allowed but now the waters have been muddied by a whole new crop of in car accessories that augment your in-car iPod and phone interactions.
The simplest of these is the phone holder, this clips to the windscreen and allows the driver to glance at their phone while driving. Although they are not technically holding it for operating it, trying to read text on a four-inch sreen is still very distracting and surely very dangerous. As long as it’s legal however people will continue to do it.
It is not just calls that distract the user these days either, the latest batch of smart phones come with music playing capabilities that users can connect with their car stereo. The niggling temptation to skip through your tracks and find that perfect driving song is nigh on unbearable but doing so is arguably even more dangerous than taking a call.
Of course there are handy mobile phone accessories which are useful and safe, chargers for example can keep your battery juice going on a long journey. Many of these gadgets serve to distract the driver unnecessarily and endanger other road users. Legislation needs to be implemented not just for mobiles but for all electronic gadgets before it’s too late.
