Is The Average Driver Really Ready For Voice Command Vehicle Controls?

I'm very interested in voice control...of other people's cars.

Most drivers would be served better by honing their basic driving skills, and keeping their mind focused on the task at hand: driving! Let's not get into silly gadgetry, such as BMW's "no manual cancel" turn signals, where the computer, and *only* the computer decides when to turn the signal off. In the quest to be "technically advanced," some very sub-optimal design decisions are made.

It's all about car companies thinking they can act like AT&T and up sell monthly services. Bad idea. I would rather they remove some of the tech crap and get back to basics. The only piece of tech that I found useful on my MDX was the rear back-up camera.

The Average Driver still hasn't mastered wheel steering plus brake and accelerator.

From the article, it sounds like they are talking about voice control for the radio, bluetooth phone connection, hvac, etc. For that sort of thing, I don't really see it as a problem so long as the physical controls still exist as well.

The problem with such advanced technology does not lie within the tech itself, but moreso to the learning curve (or lack thereof) of the user. Having worked for a Cadillac agency and watching very technically challenged clients stumble around with such pedestrian functions as setting radio stations on an STS, one might wish for less rather than more function.

Wow is consumer reports run by 90 year olds. My father (who retired years ago) just bought a new Edge and has this system installed. He figured out how to do it all by himself in about 2 days. He absolutly loves the system and this from the individual who asks me (literally) to reprogram his remote everytime we take the grandkids to visit.

While everyone touts their ability to drive and yes wouldn't it be a wonderful world if we all had the skill of Mario Andretti or Schumacher or Zanardi, we dont live in that imaginary world. And besides is the ability to take the checkerd flag in Monaco going to help me find the nearest gas station when my car is running low on a stretch of highway I dont know. Of will it help me avoid an accident that just occured in DC that has blocked New York Ave. Or will it ID the artist of the song I've been trying to figure out for the past 2 weeks and whose song I want to download from iTunes. No it wont...but I tell you what will...that little gem of a device in my fathers Ford Edge will.

To sum it up, Ford has the best system on the market PERIOD. Not Audi, Not BMW, Not Volvo, Lexus or Honda. Ford. And to attack it is just the worst case of Nit Picking there is possible.