Reading: Car Gadgets Driving Us Crazy

A recent survey would seem to be sending a powerful message to car manufacturers. It appears we are all getting heartily fed up with the plethora of gadgets and gizmos attached to our cars. The survey, of 726 UK motorists, showed that over 70 percent of respondents are being driven to distraction by motoring gadgets, and these motorists also feel that this unwanted technology also impacts on road safety.

According to the survey, over half of those questioned would prefer fewer “non-essential” features, which they feel cause confusion and distraction. At the top of the list of irritating, dangerous additions is the sat nav. 29 percent of motorists claimed this was the biggest distraction, particularly if armed with an authoritarian or over-enthusiastic voice. The sat nav was closely followed in-car entertainment systems such as iPods and CD players.

Over-complicated steering wheel controls and noisy parking sensors also attracted much opprobrium. Amongst non-driving distractions smoking is the most disliked.

Katie Armitage, speaking for the survey organizers, said, “Many modern cars are filled with gadgets and gizmos and for many drivers are seen as not only confusing to use but also a major cause of distraction for both themselves and other drivers. On the back of these findings we are urging manufacturers to ?Go back to Basics’ and to consider the safety of drivers and how they use the add-ons with the emphasis being placed on not losing concentration.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 at 12:17 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.