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Stop the Use of Smartphones in Vehicles!. T. Russell Shields Chair, Ygomi LLC ITU/UNECE Workshop on Intelligent Transport Systems Geneva, Switzerland 27 June 2013. Why stop the use of smartphones in vehicles?.
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Stop the Use of Smartphones in Vehicles! T. Russell Shields Chair, Ygomi LLC ITU/UNECE Workshop on Intelligent Transport Systems Geneva, Switzerland 27 June 2013
Why stop the use of smartphones in vehicles? • 3,331 people were killed in the U.S. in 2011 in crashes clearly involving a distracted driver (www.distraction.gov/download/811737.pdf) • 10.29% of all 2011 crash-related deaths • 11.55% of 2011 distraction-related crash deaths are known to involved mobile phone use • Texting while driving is illegal in many places • The U.S. NHTSA has made a strong effort to reduce distracted driving, especially smartphone use in vehicles (www.distraction.gov)
Are smartphones in vehicles ever OK? • Answer: Yes, in a very limited way • Smartphones act as the modem in some in-vehicle multimedia systems • This can be economic for both vehicle manufacturers and their customers • This can be safe if the in-vehicle technology restricts handling the phone while driving
What about other ways of bringing the smartphone into the vehicle? • MirrorLink has limitations • It currently supports 34 smartphones • 11 Nokia Symbian™ phones (Nokia is phasing out Symbian) • 23 Android™phones (2 Panasonic, 1 Samsung, 20 Sony) – not all available worldwide • Making apps work on all smartphones around the world requires expensive testing • Each year, hundreds of new smartphones enter markets around the world • Ford SYNC supports 129 phone/carrier combinations and 41 music players • All of these needed to be tested Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Symbian and all Symbian marks and logos are trademarks of Nokia.
It is difficult to keep people from using their smartphones in the car! • One step is for regulators to require smartphone use by the driver to follow vehicle rules when the vehicle is moving • Some people will cheat but it will be limited • If there is proper regulation, technology can help reduce smartphone misuse in vehicles
Technology allows identifying smartphone use by drivers • A regulation can require smartphones sold after a future date to identify if they are being used by a driver in a moving vehicle • The SSID for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can include the word ‘car’ in various languages • The vehicle airbag sensors can tell if there is a passenger in front or back • Most vehicles have at least two speakers • The smartphone can tell whether it is in the driver’s seat by positioning itself using a tone sent from the speakers • The phone knows if it is moving from GPS
How will people live without smartphones in their vehicles? • Answer: Easily, with technology being developed now • Embedded app platforms can give users access to popular apps and services • Voice-controlled • Use limited to conditions determined by regulators and the vehicle manufacturer • People got used to hands-free phone use in vehicles • They can get used to a new way to use smartphone apps, too • Passengers would still be able to use their smartphones in moving vehicles