New technology and gadgetry were announced this week that have the potential to make driving a car while using a smartphone a little less dangerous.
Your phone and your car have never been the most compatible devices. People getting in accidents while using smartphones is common, 25 percent of all car crashes in the U.S. are caused by smartphones, according to a study by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
People will probably never stop using their phones while they drive. At least not until heads-up window displays and voice activated usage become so commonplace that using a smartphone to look up directions of send a message in the car seems dated.
So until that happens, at least designers are coming up with gadgets for the smartphone that will make the crash-causing devices a little more car compatible.
Design firm Kenu recently announced the Airframe, a pocket-sized mount that clips to the louvers of your car's air conditioning ventilator, holding an smartphone snugly in place. The Airframe's spring loaded, expandable jaw will securely hold smartphones with up to a 4.8-inch screen. Airframe's website claims that by mounting your phone at eye sight level on the dash it will eliminate distracted one-armed fumble we all do when looking the phone one the road.
Another innovation in automotive smartphone technology announced this week is the collaboration announced between remote access software company RealVNC and Panasonic's automotive division, known as the Automotive Systems Company.
The two firms teamed up to develop technology that will enable the screen of a smartphone to be replicated and controlled from the touchscreen display mounted in a vehicle's head unit.
"The smartphone is the content hub of this generation and users want access to their content and applications wherever they are, including in vehicle. We faced the challenge of meeting these needs in a way that was safe but where the experience was seamless," said Kenki Matsuda, a manager at Automotive Systems Company.
The two firms have already worked together on the project for the past year, but have recently stepped it up to include integration of additional technologies like MirrorLink into Panasonic's Display-Audio infotainment system.
According to the press statement, the system has "already been adopted by a major automotive manufacturer," though it was unclear which automaker that is.
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