Airplane technology for safer driving

The danger of cell phone use while driving is a commonly discussed topic, whether in a driver’s education class, deciding whether or not to make laws against it, or through the message of commercials like this one.

Despite all this, as of May 8, 2013, texting while driving was the leading cause of death among teenagers.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are three types of distractions that can occur while driving. They are: visual, which is when you take your eyes off the road; manual, which is when you take your hands off the wheel; and cognitive, which is when you take your mind off driving. Cell phone usage involves all three of these distractions and so, especially when combined with inexperienced drivers; it is debatably more dangerous than driving under the influence.

Navdy has created a “heads-up display” (HUD) device that allows you to use your smartphone while driving without visual or manual distraction. The device can’t help with cognitive distraction, but it can hopefully still prevent distracted driving accidents. 

 
Commonly used in airplanes, heads-up displays project data in front of the user in such a way that they are still able to see whatever is in front of them. Navdy connects with any iPhone or Android device to project the phone’s screen in the driver’s field of view, so it will appear to be floating six feet in front of him or her. 

The HUD also comes with a compass, an accelerometer, an audio-out mini-jack, a mini-USB port, an ambient light sensor, Wi-F,i and Bluetooth. It can read any notifications on your phone to you, as well as displaying them, and is compatible with any iPhone or Android phone. It also comes with parental controls and the ability to entirely disable any notifications. What’s more, it is 40 times brighter than an iPhone or Android phone so it will still be visible if you’re using it while driving into the sun.

This video shows it in use:

Navdy is currently accepting pre-orders for the device, which is being sold for $299 during its 30 day promotional period, but will be sold for its retail value of $499 starting in early September. Navdy plans to begin shipping in early 2015.