GM Shopping App: Driver Aid or Distraction?

Earlier this month General Motors Co. launched its new Marketplace app, which the automaker hails as the industry’s first e-commerce platform that allows motorists to make reservations and purchase goods while driving. Shortly thereafter the National Safety Council (NSC) public advocacy group condemned the system as a potentially dangerous driver distraction.

"There’s nothing about this that’s safe," asserts Deborah Hersman, who heads the Itasca, Ill.-based non-profit organization. Noting that distracted driving contributed to about one-fourth of all vehicle crashes in the U.S. last year, Hersman tells Bloomberg News, “We’re going to see fatality numbers go up even higher than they are now.”

GM maintains the system, which complies with voluntary driver-distraction guidelines set by car companies, is safer than using a smartphone. A company spokesperson says Marketplace limits the number of steps required to place an order to three or four.

Introduced this week, Marketplace is available in nearly 2 million 2017-2018 GM vehicles. The system allows motorists to use their infotainment touchscreen and voice-activation system to pre-order coffee and food, make restaurant reservations, locate and pay for fuel, reserve and pay for parking, search for nearby hotels and shop online.

At launch Marketplace has about a dozen partner companies, including Applebee’s, Dunkin' Donuts, delivery.com, Exxon Mobil, IHOP, Parkopedia, Priceline.com, Shell, TGI Fridays and Wingstop. Starbucks is due to be added early next year. Marketplace also features a "Shop" section dedicated to offers specific to GM vehicle owners, such as discounts on vehicle accessories, oil changes and the purchase of wi-fi data. Dealership services such as scheduling oil changes and other maintenance are expected to be added next year.

The application marks GM’s first widespread use of a so-called over-the-air software update for a consumer-facing feature. Vehicle owners had to agree to download Marketplace before receiving the wireless update. The feature is free for users, and it doesn’t require an additional data subscription plan. By the end of next year, GM expects to double Marketplace’s availability to about 4 million cars and trucks.

This all sounds great, but what about the potential for driver distraction? A study conducted earlier this year by AAA and the University of Utah found that the infotainment systems on 2017-model vehicles already are distracting drivers for dangerously long periods of time. The study, which evaluated 120 drivers in 30 different cars and trucks, concluded that the infotainment system in 23 of the vehicles requires either “high” or “very high” levels of attention among motorists trying to use various features. The other seven vehicles required “moderate” demand. None earned the best “low” demand rating.

The risk of a crash doubles when a driver looks away from the road for as little as two seconds, AAA notes, citing previous research. Many of the infotainment systems tested distract users visually and cognitively for as much as 40 seconds, and some of the most distracting tasks are unrelated to driving, such as sending text messages, checking social media or surfing the web.

Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in conjunction with the Auto Alliance industry group of 12 carmakers announced guidelines intended to help curb driver distraction caused by smartphones and other portable electronics. The new recommendations follow an earlier set of guidelines about features that are hardwired into a vehicle by the manufacturer. The 96-page proposal details several studies about driver distraction, outlining the risks associated with using devices while driving and describe current initiatives to curb distracted driving.

The agency notes there currently are no safety standards covering the use of mobile devices while driving. NHTSA says its aim is to preserve the functionality of such devices but minimize the time drivers take their eyes off the road to use them. The agency describes its approach as a pragmatic way to mitigate the fact that many consumers will continue no matter what to use portable devices in unsafe ways while driving.

For its part, GM says Marketplace adheres to the voluntary driver-distraction guidelines adopted by the Auto Alliance and GM's own guiding principles. The goal, the automaker insists, is to minimize manual interactions and help drivers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

What’s clear is that consumers are demanding more features in their cars, with the same or greater connectivity and integration capabilities they have with their smartphones. GM’s Marketplace meets that need, and other automakers likely will soon introduce their own systems. Such amenities will be key features in future self-driving vehicles. But for the foreseeable future, while drivers still are in control, all new features and functions need to be safety-proofed—serving as driving aids rather than distractions. That’s a thriving marketplace.