Facebook in the Fast lane? Or: Keep your eyes on the road, oh wait did she just unfriend me?

Facebook in the Fast lane? Or:

Keep your eyes on the road, oh wait did she just unfriend me?

As if texting and mobile phone calls weren’t distracting enough for drivers on the road, buckle your seat belts – we could be in for whole new way for people to be horrible drivers. Social media may be coming soon to a dashboard near you.

Telematics is a term that refers to the various telecommunication functions used in conjunction with automobiles. Telematics could include services like On-Star and accessing the web from your car or any other type of automotive infotainment. At a recent trade show for the Telematics industry in Detroit, the show began with the announcement that drivers do not need social media in their cars. Then the rest of the convention proceeded to show how many carmakers are taking strides to offer social media options in cars.

Photo: QNX

Photo retrieved from: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/06/telematics-detroit-2012/

Apparently loud music and a flashy video screen are not distracting enough, now the car needs to ask teen drivers if they want to share their song on Facebook. It doesn’t matter, they won’t hear it anyways – they will already be talking on the phone.

The link following shows how one of the Telematics companies, QNX, has a new a car system that supports HTML5 which will allow car systems to download applications much like an iPhone or Droid. One feature shows the console asking the driver if he wants to share the song he just played on Facebook.

http://bcove.me/ykkbu21

Another example of the potential changes or opportunities Telematics may provide is shown, by looking at a recent patent filed by On-Star. In the movie Minority Report, the digital billboard advertisements were custom tailored to consumers and followed them as they walked through train stations and malls. On-Star Telematics would allow billboards to access your personal data while you are driving to ensure that the upcoming marketing would be suited just for you. Does that weird you out? Wait there’s more. A recent article in Wired magazine by Keith Barry pointed out that On-Star could potentially use “in-vehicle cameras to determine unspecified demographics of vehicle occupants. Even power seat positions could be used to estimate the age of a driver.” The technology in your car could tell you advertisers everything about you.

Is this new technology going to be an advertising dream come true or a public safety nightmare? U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently released a “Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving”. The plan goals follow:

Encourages the remaining 11 states without distracted driving laws to enact and enforce this critical legislation.

Challenges the auto industry to adopt new and future guidelines for technology to reduce the potential for distraction on devices built or brought into vehicles.

Partners with driver education professionals to incorporate new curriculum materials to educate novice drivers of driver distraction and its consequences.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show drivers under the age of 25 are two to three times more likely than older drivers to send text messages or emails while driving.

Provides all stakeholders with actions they can take that go beyond personal responsibility to helping end distracted driving nationwide.

http://www.distraction.gov/content/press-release/2012/06-7.html

This technology raises a lot of interesting questions for drivers, consumers, advertisers, parents, the government, and people concerned with privacy issues. Much more study is needed to examine this rapidly advancing industry – hopefully it won’t be done while researchers are driving.
http://www.wired.com/autopia/tag/telematics/
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/06/telematics-detroit-2012/