The explosion in the availability of in-car technology is raising road safety concerns across the globe.
The Irish Times reports that Smart phone apps abound for the car driver with apps for route planning and traffic jam avoidance; car sharing; finding free parking spaces; finding the nearest and cheapest petrol stations; warning of speed traps; trip analysis, including CO2 emissions; on board diagnosis of engine performance; and even g-force indicators of acceleration and cornering. Some of these apps are applicable before and after a trip. But many are targeted for in-vehicle use, and so raise safety concerns.
Last month, Ireland raised the number of penalty points for driving while (just simply ) holding a mobile phone, from two to three points on payment of a fixed fine, and from four to five upon a conviction.
The Irish Times story is available at: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/opportunity-exists-for-ireland-in-car-tech-1.1716536
