In Car Entertainment Systems and the dangers of distraction.
Mar 29, 2022
Our cars are at the forefront of technological innovations - whether that’s electric vehicles and the drive towards sustainability or even research and development into the self driving vehicles of the future.
In car entertainment is accessible to many of us already and if you have a car, it might be capable of more than you realise.
The standard ‘radio’ has now developed into an ‘In Car Entertainment System’ in many vehicles with music, communication and navigation all available.
Depending on your make and model, you might have access to software such as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
This provides a seamless experience between the car and your phone, without having to set up Bluetooth everytime you drive.
Used properly, the system speaks to you with important information, so there’s no requirement to look at the screen at all or touch any buttons.
And that’s because in the UK it’s illegal to touch a mobile phone at all while you are behind the wheel of a car or if you’re a passenger supervising a learner.
As well as being highly dangerous, breaking that law carries the risk of 6 penalty points and a £200 fine.
However, research from the start of lockdown suggested even using systems like CarPlay and Android Auto led to slower reaction times than drivers with nothing else going on around them.
You can be prosecuted if police think a mobile phone - even a hands free device - is causing you to be distracted.
So use the technology carefully and always put safety first, maybe the simplest option is to stick with your favourite radio station.