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.