Do consumers really want to watch movies, text their friends and keep up with happenings on Facebook while driving? Not according to a new study from Compass Intelligence called In-vehicle Wireless Broadband – Connected Vehicle Survey of Consumers.”
The survey asked 1,320 consumers who drive a car and own a smartphone their preferences and usage of in-car features provided through wireless broadband connectivity, now and in the future. Perhaps surprising to those who follow the issue of driver distraction, streaming video, texting and monitoring e-mails while driving ranked low among those surveyed. What do consumers want? According to the survey, they want connected technology to deliver vehicle maintenance information, traffic updates and ways to save money on their car insurance.
Over 50 percent of surveyed users want a system that displays when preventative maintenance is due. Over 65 percent want information telling them when parts or vehicle systems are malfunctioning before a complete breakdown. And most are willing to pay for user-based services that help to reduce insurance rates.
“Maintenance and predictive analytics on a vehicles’ health ranked the highest in end user requirements,” said Keith Robinson, Sr., a strategist at Compass Intelligence. “This is an untapped opportunity for companies that participate in the in-vehicle wireless broadband market.”
A 2014 survey taken by Accenture produced similar findings, in which most U.S. drivers are not interested in the ability to engage in distracting activities such as surfing the Web or reading and sending e-mails while behind the wheel. Safety and the use of an insurance “black box” to save money, however, are of great interest, as with the Compass study.
Both studies made it clear that in-car broadband connectivity is important to baby-boomers as well as Millennials and factors highly when evaluating new cars. Automakers and technology companies wishing to leverage these considerations would be wise to carefully study the evolved needs of the connected consumers and what they really want in their next vehicle purchase. Hint: It’s probably not 3D movies.
Source: Connected Car Drivers Want Traffic Updates, Not Streaming Movies – Hollywood Reporter