New Tech Could Help Drivers Keep Eyes On The Road
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - One of the first things we learn when learning to drive is too always "keep your eyes on the road."
These days drivers have more options than ever before to have information projected in their line of sight. When private pilot Jerry Greenfield first saw a head-up display, it was in a flight simulator.
"You see the flight instruments, you'll see your airspeed," said Greenfield who is very interested in the technology.
Today, a growing number of automakers are building similar displays into vehicles which project things like speed or navigation onto the windshield or into the driver's field of vision. It's the type of feature Greenfield would like to see in his next car.
"I like the idea of being able to look straight ahead and see all the information I need without having to look away from the road," said Greenfield.
Ron Montoya of edmunds.com has test driven vehicles with the technology built-in. He feels these types of displays make a drive safer.
"If you think about it, when you look at your speed gauges or your navigation screen you are taking your eyes off the road, even if it's only for a brief moment," Montoya said.
Some companies are developing displays designed for use in any vehicle. They'll include additional functionality that would allow drivers to do things like receive and respond to text messages, or post to social media all while keeping their eyes on the road.
"The technology seems promising and it seems to sort of integrate a couple of smart phone features which we're not really getting from the factory systems," said Montoya.
Jacob Nelson, the director of Traffic Safety Advocacy for the American Automobile Association (AAA), feels more testing is needed to study the impact head-up displays have on driver distraction.
One concern is the amount of information included in the display.
"The risk though is that if we are projecting information on the windshield or in the forward driving environment that isn't integral to the core task of driving, then we're overloading the driver," said Nelson.
Montoya has some advice for car buyers considering purchasing a vehicle with a head-up display.
"Test it out for yourself and see if you want to make that decision and get that system," said Montoya.
As for Greenfield, he says next time he's in the market for a new car, it's a feature he'll be on the lookout for.
"If you're going to drive safely, keeping your eyes on the road is obviously the most important thing," said Greenfield.
Right now head-up displays are built into a small number of car models. But, experts point out that often technology appears first in high end models and as it gains popularity and prices come down it spreads to more popular models.
