New cars multiply drivers’ tasks | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

New cars multiply drivers’ tasks | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram.

Automakers race to add infotainment devices to cars as safety officials warn of their dangers.

San Jose Mercury News

SAN JOSE, Calif. – American drivers are about to become a lot more distracted.

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Tesla’s Motors’ upcoming Model S will feature a 17-inch touch screen. Within five years, more than 90 percent of new cars will come equipped with Internet-connected technology features, one expert predicts.

The Associated Press

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THE WELL-CONNECTED CAR

To meet the demands of the iPhone generation, automakers are rolling out models packed with new information and entertainment features.

• BMW: New models come with Internet access and allow videos to be viewed through an iPhone and on-demand streaming music.

• Ford: Using voice commands, drivers can make phone calls, hear in-coming text messages and get news updates.

• General Motors: A driver can play with a 7-inch, high-resolution touch screen. The system also allows text messaging and audio streaming from smartphones.

• Mercedes-Benz: Voice-activating system for radio, phone and navigation system and comes with a Facebook app.

• Tesla Motors: The upcoming Model S will be equipped with Internet access and a 17-inch touch screen.

SOURCE: Mercury News reporting

As safety officials fret about drivers taking their eyes off the road to play with smartphones, automakers from Detroit to Japan are rolling out vehicles that are becoming virtual iPads on wheels.

Next-generation vehicles, safety experts warn, could make multitasking motorists even more of a hazard on the nation’s roads and freeways. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has called distracted driving “a dangerous epidemic.”

What began as perks for luxury cars are now becoming standard features of lower-end vehicles, said Carroll Lachnit, an editor at auto information site Edmunds.com.

Motorists can press steering wheel buttons to buy movie tickets and give voice updates for their Facebook pages.

Daimler AG, the German manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz and other vehicles, is working on technology that will enable drivers to read information on the windshield by waving their hands………

Author: ianglo

Just a transplanted Texan living in the Land of land's, Israel. Started maintaining and repairing cars at 9 years of age in my father's auto shop (not sure how much of an asset I was at that time). Later I became interested in helping people find and finance these expensive and necessary machines. Check out the website see if I or my staff can be of assistance to you. View all posts by ianglo