Lawyer screens aside, there's no doubt that for some distracted drivers, connectivity will end up describing the union between their front bumper and the car in front of them. Already, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis estimates that 2600 Americans are killed and as many as 570,000 are injured each year in cell-phone-related auto accidents. Fatal crashes have spurred six states to ban drivers from either texting, watching videos, or making calls with handheld phones; at least seventeen states ban cell phone use entirely for minor or novice drivers.
Despite legitimate safety concerns, Pandora's box has been opened - the metaphorical one, although Pandora Web radio can stream music to some cars - and there's no going back.
Some benefits, at least, are clear: Web-based navigation is far superior to today's vehicle-based systems, which are no better than their in-car database. Any parent might prefer to tranquilize rear-seat riders via a limitless Internet video library rather than a case of juice-stained DVDs. Automakers are just beginning to tap connectivity's potential to boost safety and convenience, from systems monitoring and vehicle software downloads to remote unlocking, accident notification, and emergency medical response. And car-to-car networking is a tentative step toward so-called Intelligent Highway Systems that could reduce accidents or help unclog urban freeways and streets.
Ultimately, the point won't be to outlaw four-wheeled Web-surfing (a quixotic quest) but to make it work smarter, via improved voice controls and interfaces - and improved drivers. Let's just hope that the guy in the other lane is watching the road, not YouTube.