Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Auto Safety Experts Concerned About CarPlay and Distracted Driving
Earlier this week, Apple announced its new CarPlay technology, which opens the door for easier hands-free calling, text messaging and navigation while driving. Consumers may be enthusiastic about this in-car technology, but auto safety experts are concerned about its contribution to distracted driving, reports CNN Money.
Apple is aware of these distracted driving concerns and notes in a press release that Siri minimizes distraction by allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road.
Apple's CarPlay will be available as an update to iOS 7 for iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 owners. It will debut in 2014 models from major automobile manufacturers such as Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai and others.
"The idea that people want to be on their phones, and therefore let's give them a way to do that -- that's not putting safety first, that's putting convenience and the desire to be in touch first," said Bruce Hamilton, manager of research and communications at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety."Siri may allow for hands- and eyes-free interaction with a phone, but experts argue it still contributes to "cognitive distraction," which moves a driver's attention away from their driving and onto their phone. Recent studies have shown that the voice-to-text features included in personal assistant software such as Siri carry an "extensive risk" of distracted driving and have the potential to double driver reaction times.
Apple is aware of these distracted driving concerns and notes in a press release that Siri minimizes distraction by allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road.
“CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing. “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction."Apple's CarPlay technology is similar to existing in-dash smartphone systems in terms of driver attention, but these concerns over distracted driving are getting renewed attention because of Apple's high-profile launch.
Apple's CarPlay will be available as an update to iOS 7 for iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 owners. It will debut in 2014 models from major automobile manufacturers such as Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai and others.
Related Roundup: CarPlay
[ 266 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
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67 months ago
Ford implements SYNC by Microsoft and Ford MyTouch, and nothing from the safety boards get said. Ford says they're going to switch to QNX and nothing from the safety boards gets said. We have radios and climate control and GPS and nothing gets said. Some car manufacturers get on board with Android via Mirralink (sp) and nothing gets said. Google lobbies to allow drivers to wear google glass while driving, and hardly anything gets said.
Apple takes tech that exists in vehicles already and makes it easier/simpler and all of a sudden the safety boards are speaking out against it.
Makes sense.
Apple takes tech that exists in vehicles already and makes it easier/simpler and all of a sudden the safety boards are speaking out against it.
Makes sense.
67 months ago
I have a hard time seeing how Carplay will be any more distracting than a Garmin, or radio knobs or station buttons, etc. Assuming that you won't be able to watch youtube videos or text via the interface, it likely won't create any additional hazard, and in fact may keep people's posture such that at least they might be able to detect movement in their periphery.
Personally, I welcome the technology.
Personally, I welcome the technology.
67 months ago
we need to also remove heating and cooling knobs, radios and anything else.
Yes, distractions but distractions that are "in-dash" and thus closer to the windshield...whereas sneaking a look on a phone is more distracting and not always near the windshield view because in some cases it is illegal.
Yes, distractions but distractions that are "in-dash" and thus closer to the windshield...whereas sneaking a look on a phone is more distracting and not always near the windshield view because in some cases it is illegal.
67 months ago
I am SO incredibly tired of people who whine that any reasonable concerns and discussions about safety constitute some tyrannical infringement on our unrestricted liberties.
Knobs and sliders can be operated by touch without taking your eyes off of the road. You all know that .
Phone conversations are different than conversations with someone in the car simply because a person in the car is sharing the same space/reality as you and will likely not demand your conscious attention if road conditions indicate.
Go to a funeral of a bicyclist killed because someone was fishing for a cd or tuning a radio. All existing capabilities. You really want to throw the door open to dozens of other distractions without at least thinking about it?
Everything's on the table when it comes to safety.
Help or shut up.
Knobs and sliders can be operated by touch without taking your eyes off of the road. You all know that .
Phone conversations are different than conversations with someone in the car simply because a person in the car is sharing the same space/reality as you and will likely not demand your conscious attention if road conditions indicate.
Go to a funeral of a bicyclist killed because someone was fishing for a cd or tuning a radio. All existing capabilities. You really want to throw the door open to dozens of other distractions without at least thinking about it?
Everything's on the table when it comes to safety.
Help or shut up.
67 months ago
It's because Apple is doing it now. Remember the uproar and letters from Senators when Apple was taking your fingerprint on the iPhone 5s? Where was that when IBM Thinkpads added fingerprint sensors to laptops? How about now that the Galaxy S5 has a fingerprint sensor?
Also, where was the uproar when cars added navigation systems? How about when Ford introduced Sync with Microsoft? Nothing but crickets for Apple's competitors, but as soon as Apple integrates something there is a huge uproar.
Granted, Google got an uproar on safety of using Glass while driving, but clearly looking up at tiny screen and trying to focus on that while driving is a major issue. It specifically causes you to narrow your focus on a tiny area that is not the road in front of you. If Glass was more like augmented reality with the entire field of vision being augmented with overlays, then it would be much safer to use while driving (and I am pretty sure Google wants to go there anyway).
Also, where was the uproar when cars added navigation systems? How about when Ford introduced Sync with Microsoft? Nothing but crickets for Apple's competitors, but as soon as Apple integrates something there is a huge uproar.
Granted, Google got an uproar on safety of using Glass while driving, but clearly looking up at tiny screen and trying to focus on that while driving is a major issue. It specifically causes you to narrow your focus on a tiny area that is not the road in front of you. If Glass was more like augmented reality with the entire field of vision being augmented with overlays, then it would be much safer to use while driving (and I am pretty sure Google wants to go there anyway).
67 months ago
So what they are saying is they rather have someone drive with one hand while digging through their pocket for the phone with the other hand? It's better to look down at a phone to dial a # rather than looking forward? Its better to drive with one hand because you are using the other to hold the phone for navigation? LOL, ok.
If you are driving, don't play with the phone... you may not care, but the people surrounding you will thank you
67 months ago
They haven't driven the Tesla Model S, haven't they?
No complaints for that car. You know, with the giant 17 inch touchscreen.
No complaints for that car. You know, with the giant 17 inch touchscreen.
67 months ago
Where will it end? By this train of thought we should ban radios / buttons on steering wheels / climate control knobs etc etc.
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