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In-Vehicle Technologies: Experience & Research

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 This page is devoted to discussions regarding specific in-vehicle technologies: cell phones, navigation systems, night vision systems, wireless Internet, and information and entertainment systems, among others. The purpose is to provide an avenue for drivers to share their experiences with, and impressions of these technologies so that benefits of these systems can be realized without causing unsafe driver distraction. Although specific in-vehicle devices are emphasized here, comment and discussion relevant to other non-technological or conventional sources of distraction are also welcome. Be sure to take or view results of our informal polls.

Please tell us about your experience with these technologies…

 

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Cell Phones
             310comments   4    2   6   
Navigation Systems
             43comments   1    2   3   
Night Vision Systems
             22comments   
Wireless Internet (E-mail)
             29comments   2   
Information & Entertainment Systems
             23comments   
Other
            
comments   To My Kids   7/5/00 12:46:08 PM

comments   Kids, etc.   7/9/00 8:13:29 PM

comments   Children may be the root of All Evil   7/14/00 7:10:42 AM

comments   Left lane slow drivers   7/14/00 7:20:06 AM

comments   How do you know they are slow in the left lane??   7/14/00 5:42:15 PM

comments   Women and mirrors   7/14/00 5:45:30 PM

comments   Bright Running Lights   7/14/00 9:12:04 PM

comments   Question those statistics!   7/14/00 11:12:07 PM

comments   people overly distracted by their children    7/15/00 1:00:36 AM

comments   Your speedometer is an indicator of your speed.   7/15/00 4:01:02 AM

comments   Kids not necessarily the root of All Evil   7/15/00 4:15:37 AM

comments   Is it just me, or what?   7/15/00 4:21:16 AM

comments   If it's illegal to have a TV within view of the driver, why should cell-phones be any different?   7/15/00 11:33:58 AM

comments   The Speed Limit is slow in the left lane   7/15/00 12:17:09 PM

comments   Daytime running lights   7/15/00 5:05:19 PM

comments   Billboards, mobile billboards, and "autowraps" and other advertising   7/16/00 12:08:51 PM

comments   OUTDOOR ELECTRONIC ADVERTISING   7/17/00 5:44:03 PM

comments   Not Just Electronic Equipment!   7/18/00 3:05:19 PM

comments   Vacant and Careless Drivers   7/18/00 5:39:31 PM

comments   Billboards are intended to be distracting.   7/18/00 8:02:56 PM

comments   saab night panel (illumination)   7/18/00 8:48:57 PM

comments   Personal grooming   7/18/00 11:40:00 PM

comments   Electronic advertising in Portland, Oregon   7/18/00 11:50:47 PM

comments   Bright lights day and night, a.k.a., DRLs, "highway lights", brights, etc.   7/19/00 6:29:48 AM

comments   Driver Fatigue biggest problem on the roads   7/19/00 6:37:29 AM

comments   Sign of the Times-Live With It   7/19/00 8:23:23 PM

comments   Develop a driver alarm system to warn of pedestrians/bicycles also using roadway nearby   7/19/00 10:16:40 PM

comments   READING BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS!   7/20/00 11:01:56 AM

comments   It's what you make as your main focus that is important; distractions are nothing new   7/20/00 3:44:44 PM

comments   It's called the PASSING lane for a reason   7/23/00 2:00:55 PM

comments   Slow in left lane   7/23/00 2:06:50 PM

comments   Daytime running lights   7/23/00 2:20:39 PM

comments   WHY IS THE NHSTA TAKING SO LONG?   7/25/00 11:02:45 AM

comments   Daytime Running Lights   7/26/00 7:16:46 AM

comments   I HATE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS   7/26/00 7:56:15 AM

comments   Daytime Running Lights are the worst hazard on the road   7/26/00 8:11:50 AM

comments   Who initiated Daytime running lights?   7/27/00 3:32:04 AM

comments   Lights on during the day very disturbing   7/27/00 11:34:41 AM

comments   why is the nhsta taking so long?   7/27/00 11:38:34 AM

comments   Too many big trucks   7/27/00 3:01:24 PM

comments   Question your own ethics   7/27/00 3:35:48 PM

comments   Yeah, right   7/27/00 3:45:24 PM

comments   America home of the stupid laws!   7/29/00 9:08:11 AM

comments   Who pushed Canada    7/29/00 10:18:40 PM

comments   DRLs = Biggest Classaction Lawsuit Coming in History   7/30/00 12:58:36 PM

comments   Who pushed Canada?   7/30/00 11:17:56 PM

comments   DRLs - A Different Perspective   7/31/00 12:18:14 AM

comments   DRLs Indeed are a hazard   7/31/00 9:52:31 AM

comments   Indiana Tri-Level Study of Traffic Accident Causation   8/1/00 7:11:46 AM

comments   READING BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS!   8/1/00 2:13:58 PM

comments   Drivers over 70   8/1/00 8:44:41 PM

comments   RE: Drivers over 70    8/2/00 6:42:04 AM

comments   RE: READING BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS   8/2/00 7:15:31 AM

comments   NHTSA activities re DRLs   8/2/00 10:45:37 AM

comments   Agree, plus target young driver as well   8/2/00 7:46:35 PM

comments   Kids too young?   8/3/00 1:01:03 AM

comments   Re; Drivers over 70   8/3/00 8:57:16 AM

comments   HELP ME SOMEONE!!! DRL's Are Out of Control!   8/3/00 10:27:48 AM

comments   For the MANY who find DRLs DANGEROUS please visit www.lightsout.org   8/3/00 12:23:45 PM

comments   DRLs & "In Your Face" Drivers   8/3/00 4:53:25 PM

comments   DAYTIME HEADLIGHTS ARE THE WORST DISTRACTION   8/3/00 9:50:18 PM

comments   DRLs from a motorcyclist point of view   8/4/00 7:55:16 AM

comments   Agree - Left Lane Bandits started road rage!   8/4/00 8:03:05 AM

comments   DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DRL'S)   8/4/00 8:08:02 AM

comments   Daytime Running Lights - WHY?   8/4/00 8:28:27 AM
Charles   Alt
Private Citizen

I just can't see a benefit for Daytime Running lights as they currently exist. Their safety benefit does not exceed the hazards they create: Pros: Can see someone coming on a foggy two lane road more easily. Cons: Gives me headache from looking at all the bright lights all day long. Causes me to look away from the road to avoid getting blinded. Generally increases driver fatigue by increased visual confusion. Can't see motorcycles any more as the cars look the same. Uses up more fossil fuel because of increased load on alternator. If you agree with my pros and cons above it is clear DRL's should be eliminated. I imagine the reason touted for putting these things on cars in the first place was that people didn't turn their lights on in adverse weather so, lets just turn them on permanently! Oh by the way, bonus for automakers, who now don't need to segregate production for Canada vs. US! No wonder they like it. As another bonus, they can tout "safety" and fool the soccer moms into thinking they are buying a "safer" car! When in reality there are just as many reports showing the DRL's CAUSE accidents as those that show they reduce accidents. If we lived in Scandanavia where the lighting is low, perhaps we would need permanently wired lights on our car, but even they don't permanently hard wire super bright lights in the HIGH BEAM position like those on Saturns and GM SUV's! I would love to ?#%@ the brain trust who decided to put HIGH beams on as the DRL feature. DRL's are bad enough without the HIGH beam configurations that I think only GM is using. I will never buy another GM car until they stop this ridiculous practice. If we are a nation that can't remember to turn our lights in adverse conditions, why doesn't the government require permanently hardwired photo cells that turn the lights on when the lighting gets below a certain level and save us all a lot of headaches (and gas). Even better, you could have variable intensity headlights that get brighter as it gets darker. I remember in Europe the old concept of "city" lights. A headlight intensity lower than used on the open road to reduce glare while driving in the city at night. If we must have DRL's, at least make sure their intensity is a maximum of half that of normal headlights and also make sure they are in the LOW beam position.


comments   live with it?   8/4/00 12:14:09 PM

comments   Running lights from the rear.   8/4/00 12:32:10 PM

comments   Please! Give us some relief from DRLs!   8/4/00 5:49:55 PM

comments   DRLs are a stupid idea.   8/4/00 6:57:08 PM

comments   DRLs and risk to motorcyclists   8/4/00 11:03:22 PM

comments   Why does GM get away with it?   8/5/00 2:28:22 PM

comments   Big Trucks On The Interstate   8/5/00 2:33:57 PM

comments   DRL causes driver distractions on roadways   8/7/00 1:42:15 PM

comments   Sign of the Times--Live With It   8/8/00 10:53:26 AM

comments   Yes, but...   8/8/00 10:31:05 PM

comments   DRLs, headlights, and highway lights using high powered, focused beams   8/9/00 6:12:21 AM

comments   NHTSA- -Preliminary Assessment- - - -DRLs   8/9/00 12:24:19 PM

comments   Headlight glare getting out of control   8/9/00 9:31:53 PM

comments   DRLs in accident reports?   8/10/00 11:54:59 AM

comments   Ban DRL's - the NHSTA Should Be Ashamed   8/10/00 4:12:38 PM

comments   Effectiveness of DRL in Canada   8/11/00 9:15:32 AM

comments   Police officers should not be exempt from any new regulation   8/11/00 10:03:49 AM

comments   Response to Transport Canada posting re DRLs   8/11/00 3:25:31 PM

comments   DRL, OTHER CONSIDERATIONS   8/11/00 4:03:20 PM

comments   DRLs a menace and anyone who believes they are not is very misguided   8/11/00 4:08:42 PM

comments   Very Informative Posts Regarding DRLS   8/11/00 4:34:40 PM

comments   Transport Canada rebuttal   8/11/00 4:56:14 PM

comments   Keep Your Stupid Drls in Canada Then   8/11/00 5:38:36 PM

comments   It's the GLARE   8/11/00 6:51:18 PM

comments   SLOW DOWN, REDUCE FUEL CONSUMPTION & POLLUTION, INCREASE SAFETY   8/12/00 12:44:40 AM

comments   DRLs Damaged My Eyes    8/13/00 4:00:40 PM

comments   Just found - If Not Too Late - please submit comment re strong disapproval of drls   8/13/00 5:58:58 PM