I was on CNBC today live from the floor of the CES show in Vegas debating the question of whether allowing Internet access in cars and other in-vehicle digital technologies was a good idea. I was up against Nicholas Ashford, an MIT technology & law professor. In-vehicle communications and entertainment technologies are a major theme of this year’s show, especially with Ford’s announcement of some very cool new technologies.
I argued that education, not regulation, was the answer. We should educate drivers about safe and sensible use of in-vehicle technologies. We should also encourage the technology providers to continue to give us more voice-activated tools so we can interact with these technologies safely. Ford’s new systems, for example, have some very impressive voice-activated features. Finally, our law enforcement officials should continue to enforce “distracted driver” laws that penalize drivers who are a threat to others for any reason. That is the better approach compared to trying to ban these technologies.
You can find the video of the debate here.
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.