When it comes to car safety, many automakers are quick to refer to their vehicles’ latest features. Unfortunately for drivers across the country, the technologies developed by automakers are not always developed with safety in mind.

To many experts however, many of the most innovative technologies added to vehicles are exposing drivers to too many risks. For experts, the latest Google and Apple technologies developed for automobile dashboards are great examples of newer technologies that may be causing more harm than good.

As Google and Apple develop their own in car control systems, experts say the screens are dangerous because they will be increasing the risk of distracted driving. Instead of developing actual safety systems, these companies are developing communicative systems that take the attention of drivers away from the road.

The problem, experts say, is linked to the fact that the dashboard screens are simply too intricate. But to Google and Apple, the new technologies are safer because they rely on voice controls. By insisting the new systems have a better integrated voice control and larger touch screens, companies say the systems are actually safer.

To car makers, adding larger dashboard displays that remind drivers of their own smartphones will make vehicles more desirable. But will drivers prefer to put safety behind in order to purchase vehicles that offer them more connectivity options?

Lawmakers, Regulators, And Manufacturers Consider Safety Concerns

According to former California lawmakers, the large screens and increased number of features may be concerning current lawmakers enough to prompt them to look into the matter more closely. Because drivers who are trying to stay focused on the road while also looking at a shinny screen will end up struggling with the distractions, experts believe Apple and Google are not putting safety ahead of profits.

The main problem with the screens, experts say, is that drivers are taking their eyes off the road for too long. Because just a few seconds are enough to cause an accident, the fact these screens force the driver to focus on the features for longer than they should will also increase the distracted driving risks.

A recent research carried out by a professor of cognition and neural science at the University of Utah shows that the average time drivers take to read text messages, an activity that the new screens developed by Apple and Google support, is enough to put the driver in danger. Because even four seconds of distraction may cause the driver to miss the opportunity to avoid an accident, experts are urging companies like Google to address the safety concerns before the new technologies are mass-produced and made available to drivers everywhere.

Since consumers are more likely to buy new cars that offer connectivity technologies than cars that don’t, automakers are finding it hard to stay away from developing the new dashboard displays. While the industry has issued safety guidelines of its own, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also urges automakers to follow its guidelines for dashboard displays.

To many experts, car makers and companies like Google and Apple will only begin putting safety ahead of profits when federal regulators act on the issue.

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