Technology Toolkit

The GPS navigation system offers many compelling safety benefits to travelers going into unfamiliar territory, including keeping us from getting lost, guiding us to the nearest service station, rest area or hospital, and allowing us to report our precise location to emergency responders. Though the presence of another electronic device in the car can be a distraction, those of us who recall fumbling with big, unwieldy paper roadmaps while trying to keep our eyes on the street see the in-vehicle GPS revolution as a net benefit, particularly with the addition of voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions.

Today there\’s a new revolution in progress, specifically the growing availability and sophistication of GPS Navigation features on smartphones, such as the iPhone, Android and Google Nexus One. However, from a safety standpoint, there are strong arguments as to why the GPS on your cell phone is best utilized while you\’re stopped or sitting in the passenger seat and a dedicated in-vehicle GPS Navigation device remains a better choice:

1. Eyes Ahead – Read With The Ears: Among the principal risks of electronic products in the automobile is the fact that they draw your eyes away from the street ahead. Practically all dedicated in-car GPS systems provide spoken turn-by-turn directions (\”in one mile, turn left\”). The best units also feature text-to-speech capability, i.e., they read the street names aloud (\”in one mile, turn left on Main Street\”). Smartphone applications don\’t consistently provide these functions and the speaker volume and sound quality is typically much better on dedicated GPS Navigation devices, which have larger loudspeakers.

2. Screen Size: Even with spoken directions, there may be situations when the driver must refer to the GPS Navigation unit\’s visual map display. Despite the fact that the quality of mobile displays continue to improve, their size remains smaller, considerably smaller than that of a dedicated GPS Navigation device. This makes it harder to discern detail and has the potential to hold your eyes off the street for a longer time.

3. Size of Controls: Touch screens are often tricky to operate even when you\’re not driving. Because mobile phones are smaller than dedicated GPS models, the soft buttons we press to control the system are also smaller, necessitating more effort, finesse, and time to operate. Once more, this has the potential of keeping your eyes off the street.

4. Heads Up: Dedicated GPS devices are usually mounted to the windshield or dashboard such that they do not require the driver to move his / her head to see the screen; simply shifting the eyes can provide a satisfactory view. Unless a smartphone is affixed in a similar way, and not placed on the passenger seat, in the drink holder or ash tray as is commonly true, the driver will need to not only avert eyes and head to look at the display, but also may need to remove a hand from the wheel in an effort to hold the phone so it may be more simply viewed, an additional distraction.

5. Power: While dedicated GPS Navigation models usually plug into the auto\’s power, we\’re accustomed to the convenience of with our cell phones without plugging them in. When running on battery power, the mobile phone\’s screen saver may switch on, requiring you to reactivate it (by touching the display, for example), one more distraction and requirement to remove a hand from the wheel.

6. It\’s For You: It is easy to forget that your cell phone is, well, a phone. An poorly-timed mobile phone call could interfere with the capacity to navigate.

7. Precision: Acquiring a GPS transmission from space demands an antenna and sensitive GPS Navigation chip. A dedicated GPS device has a larger antenna and typically a very sensitive GPS Navigation chipset which makes sure you can receive GPS Navigation signals even among tall structures and beneath a forest canopy. Your smartphone handset can\’t offer the same level of sensitivity therefore would not have the ability to estimate your location as precisely. Why is this a safety concern? Lacking a good fix on your location, your GPS could route you incorrectly or furnish directions too late for you to complete a turn safely.

There\’s no doubt that smartphone technology will continue to advance and address a number of these safety issues, however for now there continue to be strong safety advantages in using a dedicated in-vehicle GPS system when using your mobile phone solely as a backup or while riding shotgun. Today\’s dedicated GPS devices, such as Garmin\’s nuvi line, are easily transportable and light, conveniently carried inside your purse or briefcase. If you must operate your smartphone to navigate when driving, take the following steps to maximize safety:

- Make certain your mobile phone is affixed to your windshield or dashboard in a \”heads-up\” location.

- Plug your mobile phone into your car or truck\’s power outlet.

- Make sure that the speaker volume of your smartphone is satisfactory; use your auto\’s audio system by plugging your auto\’s speaker jack (if available) into your mobile phone; alternatively, make use of the smartphone\’s wired or wireless earpiece to be certain that you can hear spoken directions clearly.

- Prepare and review your route in advance of when you head out and while stopped.

- Stay off the phone until you\’re stopped or traveling in a region where you don\’t need immediate GPS assistance