3 Feb 2010
Shell Navigates Safety Issues

Shell, which has a worldwide fleet of 14,000 cars in 130 countries, is telling carmakers it wants in-built satellite navigation systems disabled while a car is in motion.

It means the navigation systems could only be used when the car is stationary and would have a blank screen when the car begins to move – in the same way as in-built televisions disable themselves.
The voice instructions would still operate, but the driver would be unable to view the map.

The multi-national company is already working with several carmakers  including BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler, about the initiative and will be talking to Ford and Opel.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz have agreed, but have yet to deliver a car with the system deactivated.

While Shell believes that satellite navigation has major benefits – including reducing emissions - it does not think there is a need for the screen to be operational when the car is moving. The safety initiative is the result of workshops it carried out with internal safety teams late last year.

More than a third of UK motorists say they have been seriously distracted when driving, according to a recent RAC report. And over 40% of them said sat/nav systems were the cause of that distraction.

News provided by www.adiNEWS.co.uk– News for Driving Schools and Driving Instructors

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