My car is tricked out with aftermarket gadgets - iPod dock, DVD player, navigation system. I'm thinking of upgrading to a vehicle that comes fully loaded with even more gear. Is there a safe way to operate it all while driving, or am I bound to die in an accident?
Carmakers and their marketing departments understand your technolust - don't they always? - but safety researchers are a little behind the game. They've barely quantified the dangers of cell phone use, let alone evaluated something as complex as BMW's iDrive, which lets the driver control the phone, climate, satellite radio, and nav system with a joystick. Consumer Reports, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety all have "driver distraction" studies under way.
Here's what they do know: Human beings are not good at handling more than one stimulus at a time. Neuroscientists call this "attentional blink." Presented with, say, a GPS that needs your input, your brain takes a certain amount of time to comprehend and respond to a second stimulus - like that schmuck in the SUV who's about to cut you off. The delay: half a second.
Seems like all the time in the world, right? But cars are already full of demands on your attention. It takes three-quarters of a second to check the speedometer. It takes eight seconds to find something worth listening to on the radio. My personal experience with iDrive is that it takes 20 minutes to make it do what you want, though I could probably improve that with practice.
Ginger Watson, chief scientist at the University of Iowa's National Advanced Driving Simulator, explains that the problem isn't everyday driving. For most people, the average commute is rote - fire and forget, something you initiate by turning a key and then ignore till it's over. The trick is when the unexpected happens, like that schmuck in the SUV. That's when we need all of our cognitive and physical presence, and when you really don't want to be fussing with navigation software.
So, can you use the gear safely? In theory, yes. You can key in your destination, dial your phone, and set your iPod to Shuffle before you pull out of the garage. You can let the nav system give audible directions, which are easier to process while driving. Touchscreens are safer than keypads or joysticks. And, arguably, a DVD player in the back that keeps the kids quiet is a safety feature in itself (albeit a distraction for the drivers behind you). Or you could simply forego all the gimmicks and reserve your time behind the wheel for quiet reflection - and maybe a little Miles Davis.
I have an etiquette question: Obviously it's impolite to take a phone call during a meal or a meeting. But what about text messaging? It's silent and fast.
Speaking of divided attention You have the breeding and good sense to return phone calls after dinner, or at least take calls in the foyer instead of at the table. So you should have the same good sense about texting. If you absolutely have to ping someone back in real time, excuse yourself and fire back with discretion. Texting in a restroom stall is far less unseemly than talking in one. But in general, opting out of a real-life conversation in favor of one that's technologically mediated is just plain rude.
My wife says the same rule applies to typing on a keyboard while we're talking on the phone so, uh, I gotta go.
Need help navigating life in the 21st century? Email mrknowitall@wiredmag.com
- Adam Rogers
credit:Jameson Simpson
Car tricked out with aftermarket gadgets.
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