Mercedes-Benz USA is about to unveil a special version of their luxury cars. This new model will have a small screen on the dashboard that will allow the driver to access a simplified version of Facebook. I cannot imagine that auto insurance companies are going to look favorably upon this idea.
The new Mercedes will come with an in-vehicle telematics system. It includes one of those “intelligent screens” that have started appearing in many new cars and trucks. At least some of those screens allow people who are inside a vehicle to use the screen to access the internet.
There are some key differences between previous versions of those types of screens, and what Mercedes is doing with it in their new cars. First of all, the screen will be on located on the dashboard, where the driver can access it. Not all cars have these types of screens sitting within easy reach of the driver.
The other new thing about the screens is that it will enable drivers to access Facebook. The screens already use GPS navigation. The version of Facebook that appears on those screens would use the GPS.
Drivers can use Facebook to access a list of friends that are nearby. They can also find out when they are near a restaurant that their friends have “liked”. It will enable drivers to automatically post on Facebook that they are en route to their destination, and to give their Facebook friends their estimated time of arrival.
The screens in the Mercedes will not allow drivers to do things like play Zynga’s Farmville on Facebook while they are driving. It doesn’t support third party apps. In addition to Facebook, drivers will also be able to use the screen to access Google and Yelp. Drivers can flip between these apps by turning a knob.
In March of 2011, State Farm released the results of an online survey that asked drivers about their cell phone habits while driving. 19% of the people said that they use their cell phones to access the internet while they were driving at least once a week. This equates to one in five drivers who are paying attention to a little screen, instead of on the road ahead of them.
35% of people said they send and receive texts while driving at least once a week. 74% of people said that, at least once a week, they make or receive calls while driving. Overall, this means there are a lot of distracted drivers on the road. The driver accessible screens, located on the dashboards of the new Mercedes, will only add to the number of distracted drivers.
In general, insurers want to find customers who they see as being the least risky to insure. I wonder if auto insurance companies will charge a higher premium for people who have these Facebook enabled screens in their cars. After all, the risks of using it while driving are obvious. I think there is potential that some insurance companies will refuse to cover drivers who own cars that come with the Facebook enabled screens.
Image by Rachel So on Flickr