Bio-metric Technology ..Good or Scary??

The concept cars that are being unveiled are full of new exciting technology that promises to change how we drive forever. Everything from self driving cars to vehicles featuring the ability to read the mood of the driver.

One of the new tech features that is becoming very popular across several platforms is bio-metric technology. This technology will use fingerprint reads and in some applications retina eye scanners (yes, eye scanners) to identify drivers of the vehicle and to load the correct presets for the seat, radio and mirrors. It of course also acts as a anti-theft device in some cases.

But is bio-metric technology safe? There was a test preformed by Edmunds.com where hackers where able to gain entry into a 2014 Jeep Cherokee by accessing the cars "infotainment" system.I have linked to the article here: http://www.edmunds.com/car-technology/car-hacking-the-current-threat-is-low-but-could-be-rising.html .They successfully were able to disable the Cherokees' transmission and made it stall in traffic. Chrysler Motor Company was notified of the test and issued a recall to prevent such a incident from happening again  by making the system unable to be accessed over a certain mile per hour range.

Kudos to Chrysler for their fast response to a potentially dangerous or even deadly situation, but this does open the door to asking, is all this technology controlling the cars a good thing? We are in the age of computer hacking and software corruption. Now a hacker could theoretically break into your cars' computer and cause a wide range of havoc. Computers control every aspect of a car nowadays including the climate control, radio, door locks and even the steering and braking systems.

Newer cars rely on computers to bring us the new technology that makes driving in some situations safer. Without electric power steering we could not have lane keep technology which would  nudge you back into your own lane if you drift over the white lane marker without using your signal, thereby saving you from side swiping another vehicle. We also would not have smart cruise control or automatic braking which would kick in if it detects that the car in front has came to a stop which prevented you from rear ending that car that stopped suddenly in traffic.

But, what if a hacker accessed your controls while you and your family was on a drive to school. What if someone interested in identify theft accessed your cars computer and retrieved the data stored on your GPS? Your cars GPS keeps track of data and the more advanced systems hold even more data to help you with route assistance and traffic avoidance. This same conveniences also save your home address and any other address you program into it. These are all questions we need to ask ourselves when we are at the dealership looking at that new vehicle with all those great convince features, is it safe? And what can we do to make this technology not only more advanced but safe.

New Car Technologies That Make Driving Safer.

There is a number of new technologies that just hit the market place that makes driving safer. However do they really work? we shall find out.

New cars are coming standard with lane departure warning and rear view cameras. Lane departure warning alerts the driver that a vehicle is in its blind spot, and assist the driver in making a decision to change lanes or not. However often-times the light is not able to be seen in direct sunlight,also it stops certain people from using their mirror which would help detect other objects that might cause a collision.

Overall the technology works,it assists the driver in making a safer decision and prevents certain types of collisions.I would note that drivers should always check their mirrors prior to making a lane change,even if their car comes equipped with lane departure warning.

Rear view cameras come standard on most cars these days and have proven themselves to be very useful in helping to prevent parking lot collisions. But just like with lane departure warning,people sometimes rely totally on the system alone to prevent a collision. While the rear camera is very useful and often comes with radar and multiple sensors,it just cannot compete with looking out the rear windows and checking your mirrors.

So the systems do work and have proven themselves too be very useful.Just remember that due care should always be used I fully support the use of devices to assist in driving however human mindset cannot be predicted.Always use your turn signals and always check your mirrors before turning or reversing.