Self-driving cars may be on the horizon, but some car companies are already ignoring the driver in their decisions. General Motors has created a new app that gives drivers the power to make purchases using their infotainment systems. We can now add dashboard shopping to the list of things drivers can do rather than pay attention to the road.

The app is called Marketplace and includes the handy feature of being usable while people are driving. GM dreams of a world where drivers can get a notice that the vehicle needs an oil change, schedule the service at a GM dealer and pay for it all in one seamless process. GM has apparently not considered the fact that a driver doing 60 mph will cross several football field length sections of road while focusing on anything but safe driving.

Infotainment systems are a known danger

Studies have already shown that infotainment systems can represent a dangerous distraction. Vehicle designers have made these systems larger than ever before and capable of distracting a driver in any number of ways. Despite warnings that these systems need to be separated from the driving experience, GM and other automakers are pushing the envelope.

New car customers undoubtedly enjoy the ability to tweet, post, text, share and ping using their cars. Consumers may be their own worst enemies in this case. Car companies owe it to the driving public not to equip cars with technology that poses a danger to everyone on the road. Convenience is no excuse to allow drivers to kill themselves and others because they weren’t watching the road.

Source: Automotive News, “GM first to offer in-car purchases via Marketplace app,” by Michael Wayland, 5 December 2017