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A pedestrian crossing a street in the Tokyo suburban city of Akishima was killed May 20 when he was struck by a car that never slowed down.
The driver didn't see the pedestrian. He was too busy watching TV.
Police said the driver was viewing a modified car navigation system, a practice authorities fear will increase and lead to more accidents on the nation's roads.
The Road Traffic Law prohibits drivers from watching car navigation screens while driving. Manufacturers, under voluntary restrictions, have installed built-in locks that disable the TV and DVD functions on the front screen while the vehicle is in motion. The systems are designed to provide only map guidance at such times.
However, enabling the TV and DVD functions to work while the vehicle is moving requires just simple adjustments with special equipment. There are no laws prohibiting such system tweaks.
Many accidents have been caused by drivers watching TV broadcasts on their navigation systems.
Car navigation devices--even without the TV functions--are already considered a distraction for drivers. Tests show that a driver using one of the systems takes 0.6 second longer to hit the brakes when danger threatens than a driver whose eyes are focused on the road.
In April alone in Tokyo, there were 15 traffic accidents blamed on drivers being distracted by a car navigation system.
The rising concerns about the devices come after the National Police Agency had achieved some success in making the roads safer.
More than 1,000 accidents involving car navigation systems occurred per year from 2001 to 2004, injuring nearly 2,000 people annually.
In 2004, police introduced a nationwide ban on cellphone use behind the wheel. The threat of fines for using an electronic device while driving apparently prompted motorists to pay more attention to the road.
The number of accidents blamed on car navigation systems fell to 812 in 2005, with 1,223 injuries and eight deaths.
But traffic authorities fear the accident rate will again rise with the latest navigation devices, which offer terrestrial digital TV broadcasts.
The new devices offer high-resolution images that are far crisper than previous analog device screens.
Officials say more drivers will be tempted to adjust these devices to view the clearer picture while driving, leading to heightened dangers on the roads.
Increased sales of the navigation systems appear inevitable.
Last summer, automotive accessories retailer Super Autobacs Tokyo Bay Shinonome, in Tokyo's Koto Ward, set up a section in its shop devoted solely to car navigation systems that can handle terrestrial digital TV broadcasts.
Sales have been brisk, and the phones are constantly ringing with inquiries.
With the introduction of even wider-reception "one-seg" systems this year, the market is set to skyrocket. The advantage of "one-seg" systems is that the picture remains sharp and clear when the vehicle is in motion.
"The picture is pretty impressive. It is tempting," a 34-year-old company worker looking at the display said.
A 38-year-old dentist who installed a "one-seg" navigation system in his car said: "My kid always gets cranky when the car gets stuck in traffic. I'm going to install the system in the rear seat to keep him entertained."
Electronics giant Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. predicts a boom in mobile TV viewing. "This year will be the year that we see the spread of mobile terrestrial digital broadcasting--in cars, too," a company representative said.
Navigation systems that guide drivers with on-screen maps were introduced in the early 1990s. Shipments grew steadily to reach 4.2 million units in fiscal 2005. The prevalence rate is 30 percent. Options such as analog TV reception and DVD players were added around 2000.
Experts are rightly worried that the new high-resolution systems will encourage more people to watch and drive.
A 32-year-old company worker who lives in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward admits he likes to watch TV when he's commuting.
"My car is like a moving living room. It doesn't make sense not to have a TV in it," he said.
Makers of car navigation systems are concerned about people tampering with their products.
Clarion Co. is developing a model with a frame-by-frame advance function that will allow drivers to watch broadcasts without becoming mesmerized by the flowing images. "We don't want safety concerns to invite harsher restrictions that will affect the whole market for car navigation systems. We hope to come up with a clever solution," a Clarion official said.
Matsushita launched a new model just in time for the World Cup games. Its commercial features members of Japan's national soccer team sitting in a van and watching games on TV--while parked. The manufacturer also recommends installing a rear monitor for passengers in the back who want to watch television.
"It will become a cat and mouse chase if we were to attempt to make the products tamper-proof. We prefer to suggest safer ways to use the system," a Matsushita official said.
Pioneer Corp. also promotes rear-seat monitors and "repeatedly warns consumers about safety" in its manuals and brochures, company officials said.
Kazumoto Morita, a researcher at the National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory based in Chofu, Tokyo, conducted a test to measure driver reaction time.
In the first case, a driver traveling on a city street took one second to glance at a navigation screen and back to the road.
On average, a driver using a navigation system while in motion required an average 0.6 second more to respond to danger ahead by hitting the brakes. Traveling at 60 kph, the car moved 10 meters more than the no-TV car before stopping.
"Images on television often call for the undivided attention of the viewer. It definitely distracts them," he said.(IHT/Asahi: June 22,2006)
Joined: Jan 04, 2006 Posts: 9323 Location: Durham, UK
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 1:13 am Post subject:
Quote:
On average, a driver using a navigation system while in motion required an average 0.6 second more to respond to danger ahead by hitting the brakes.
What were the figures for someone using a paper map / written instructions / A-Z or arguing with the wife over the next turn??? Come to think of it there are other factors too such as blood alcohol levels, stress and tiredness any of which can lead to driver inattentiveness. TV / GPS is just another to add to the list.
Basically it comes down to one thing - GPS is a Driver Aid. Use it responsibly. I hate the way these reports seem to want to paint all GPS users as crazy dangerous drivers who are watching their screen update instead of the road. The technology is not to blame but the individual driver.
Joined: 02/11/2002 22:41:59 Posts: 11878 Location: Massachusetts, USA
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:39 am Post subject:
I think this is an important topic, touching (hehe) on the sensory differences between hearing and viewing. You can do something else while hearing sounds. You cannot do much more than viewing (ok, except on a treadmill in front of a tv)
This is why the video ipod is a failure, and this is also why we only have two criteria for a good navigation system (1. automatic rerouting, 2. voice guidance).
The way forward can only be HUDs that enrich the existing field of vision. _________________ Lutz
Posted: Today Post subject: Pocket GPS Advertising
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