NEW YORK — OnStar introduced a driver distraction computer demonstration at the New York International Auto Show to help educate consumers about safe driving practices.
Featured in the OnStar display, the demonstration guided users through a three-minute driving experience in a simulated driving environment controlled by a computer mouse. It represents another step in the "SenseAble driving" program, a $10 million initiative launched by General Motors Corp. and OnStar last fall to reduce driver distraction through education, research and technology.
"We really wanted to make the point to drivers – especially young inexperienced drivers – in a way they could relate," said Chet Huber, OnStar president. "This interactive experience really makes you think twice about some of the unnecessary risks you take and the potential consequences."
In the demonstration, the user chooses one of three driving personas: a harried business executive and his colleagues on the way to an important meeting, a mom with a van full of kids hurrying to a soccer match, or a Generation Y guy trying to get to a concert on time with a group of friends.
Along the way, each character encounters incoming phone calls, annoying requests from passengers and other surprising distractions that could potentially hamper his or her ability to keep the vehicle on the road and safely under control.
"Distracted driving is more than just hand-held cell phones: it's also adjusting the radio, eating food from the drive-through, interacting with passengers and a host of other non-driving tasks," Huber said. "Driving has to come first, and we'd like people to think about that every time they climb behind the wheel."