Automotive Engineer

Delphi is developing technologies designed to keep drivers’ minds on the road ahead and not on the infotainment system.

The Tier One thinks that drivers can become too easily distracted by the amount of information available from increasingly sophisticated infotainment systems. By linking these to environmental sensors such as radar and camera the vehicle could block access to certain services under certain conditions, such as rush hour traffic in cities or motorway roadworks, for example.

Delphi’s director of safety engineering for North America, Mike Thoeny, said: “If you are in a dense traffic situation the vehicle has the potential of limiting your access to your iPod or phone through the human-machine interface. It helps the driver focus attention on the road, where we think it needs to be to begin with.” 

The issue of sensory overload is likely to be exacerbated when driving in dense urban areas, where there are more lanes of traffic and more pedestrians to watch out for.

Another reason is because internet connectivity is filtering down from premium vehicles into mainstream segments.

More drivers will have more distractions, for more of the time. Thoeny said that he expects US legislators to address the issue.