Ford Motor Company has announced that all its 2012 Ford vehicles, except the Ford Ranger, will contain a new voice-activated technology called Sync that will read text messages out loud to drivers. The company hopes that Sync will help in the effort to eliminate texting while driving.
The website Mashable said, “Using a Bluetooth connection, it syncs with phones and alerts users when they receive text messages, reads them out loud and allows users to respond with a selection of standard pre-written messages without taking their hands off the wheel.”
According to a 2009 study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, trucks were 23 times more likely to get into an accident when drivers were texting. A 2007 Clemson University study also found that text messaging and the use of iPods caused drivers to swerve into other lanes 10% more often during driving simulations.
Sync product development supervisor Mark Porter believes that more phone and vehicle companies will soon begin to add the Sync feature to eliminate the dangers of texting while driving.
