Ford cars to read SMS messages to drivers

To help reduce texting while driving, Ford Motor Company is planning to install a new feature in its vehicles that will read text messages out loud to the driver. An article on tech site Mashable said the feature is part of Ford’s voice-activated technology Sync, and will be in 2012 Ford vehicles except the Ranger. "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," Mashable said. It will then be available as an upgrade to Sync in model-2010 or later vehicles, with owners downloading the upgrade from the Ford Sync site. Sync product development supervisor Mark Porter said older Ford vehicles that have Sync may soon be able to update too. But at present, Mashable said the adoption has been slow so far, with BlackBerry phones being the most notable devices compatible with the technology required for now. While some Android phones also support the technology, iPhones from Apple Inc. do not. Mashable cited data from a 2009 study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute that texting while driving increased the risk of a truck getting into an accident by more than 23 times. It added a 2007 Clemson University study found that text messaging and iPods caused drivers to leave their lane 10% more often during driving simulations. On the other hand, Porter said he thinks more phone and vehicle manufacturers will soon start to add the feature. “It’s very similar to a couple of years ago when Bluetooth devices were just coming out and had a hands-free profile [for integrating with vehicles] and few phones supported it. Now it’s almost standard," he said. — TJD, GMA News