Ford automaker is taking a stand against texting while driving by installing a new feature in its vehicles that can read text messages out loud to the driver. This safety feature is already part of Ford’s voice-activated technology on all 2012 model except for the Ranger.
The feature works by connecting to Bluetooth and syncs with the phone. When the phone has an alert, such as a text message, it reads them out loud and allows the user to respond with stock text messages, already programmed on the phone.
The technology update is now available for Ford models 2010 or later. Owners have the option of downloading the update from the website.
A study in 2009 found that texting while driving increased the chance of a truck accident by more than 23 times.
Many other companies have created other popular solutions for the enhanced distracted driving issue. However, only a few manufacturers have integrated the feature into the vehicle themselves, such as BMW and Ford.
Another issue, is that many phones do not integrate with text-to-speech features like Ford’s.
Blackberry phones are the most compatible, along with some Android phone. As of now, the popular iPhone is not compatible.
It is assumed that more vehicle manufacturers and phones will add this safety feature.
Category: Distracted Driving Accidents
Labels:
Davis Law Group and attorney Chris Davis has been featured in news reports on these local and national news sources:
To reply to this message, enter your reply in the box labeled "Message", hit "Post Message."
Vehicle Accidents
Wrongful Death
Child Injuries
Medical Malpractice
Catastrophic Injuries
Dog Bites