What Are You Watching?

It has been reported recently that some enterprising criminal has been renting set-top boxes that show the full compliment of a well known satellite broadcaster’s TV output at a fraction of the price officially charged. Somehow or other he has managed to by-pass their system. For many of us who still think of television as a sort of magic totem in the corner of the room this grasp of electronics boggles the mind.

So it comes as a further surprise to learn that actually quite a few people have this sort of electronic know-how and are able to hack into their cars’ electronic systems. By disabling the safety features that stop drivers with cars equipped with TV receivers and screens from viewing when the car is in motion, they are able to watch programmes and movies at their leisure on the screens, which apparently includes on motorways at 70mph. It is possible – and completely legal – to buy gadgets that make this a straightforward operation.

Since, really, the turn of the century, car manufacturers have decided that being in charge of a car isn’t enough to think about and have continually festooned their products with many gadgets. Most of them are safety orientated to be fair but others are for the purposes of entertainment and that includes TV. For the most part, buyers and official agencies have been perfectly happy with that even when it is possible to be distracted by, say, twiddling radio controls or plugging in an MP3 player. Some enterprising souls have even been fixing devices and tablets to their dashboards so they can view via Wi-Fi.

Since the 1980’s it has been illegal to view a screen whilst driving unless that screen is showing driving information. To do so will result in severe punishment – if you’re caught. Also, automotive science moves much more quickly than the laws that govern driving. We are all well aware that with ‘infotainment’ centres, multimedia functions and connectivity we can all do things which have nothing whatever to do with actually driving a car.

Accusing fingers have been pointed at the car makers. They maintain that it isn’t their fault that safety systems get by-passed by clever electronics and that they issue disclaimers that viewing equipment should only be used in a stationary car, off road. It clearly is not the manufacturers fault. They respond and react to customer demands. We want connectivity, they give us connectivity.

The drivers who do this are obviously in a minority. Most of us have more sense so it should be treated like any other seriously bad motoring transgression and result in an outright ban from the off. Once a few people get nicked perhaps others might get the message – but first you’ve got to catch them. Don’t watch TV folks; watch the road.