That’s slower than driving at the legal drinking limit, driving under the influence of cannabis, and - ironically - it’s even slower than texting with a handheld phone, one of the very dangerous behaviors that CarPlay was ostensibly designed to prevent.
#Mac dashboard widgets npr drivers
Calendar notifications, turn-by-turn directions, Apple Music, real-time information about the weather, local UV indexes, and an array of other apps will surround drivers at all times, constantly tempting them to take their eyes off the road to read backlit blurbs of text rather than using CarPlay’s less-convenient speech-to-text functions.Īpple also added that eventually, CarPlay’s visual features may even be projected onto the windshield itself via the car’s “heads up” display, possibly distracting motorists even more.Īpple is marketing the new interface as a safety feature that can prevent drivers from using handheld phones behind the wheel, but advocates were quick to point out that earlier versions of CarPlay have already shown to slow motorists’ reaction times by around 57 percent compared to when they’re giving their undivided attention to the road.
The feature will display a range of iPhone widgets directly alongside the speedometer and other traditional dashboard instruments, all in one integrated operating system that drivers can customize for maximum distraction.
#Mac dashboard widgets npr update
Apple’s attempt to deter drivers from using handheld cell phones by having an entire dashboard mirror their iPhone’s display is prompting a conversation about why regulators aren’t taking action on “infotainment” systems that induce the very dangerous driving that manufacturers claim the tech will help prevent.Īs part of its annual Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday, Apple previewed an update to its controversial “CarPlay” function that will essentially broadcast much of a motorists’ iPhone onto the car’s cockpit, in addition to the center entertainment touch screen already on many cars.