Category: Articles & Commentaries

Discussions on topics of interest to drivers concerning things they may not understand about their vehicles as well as articles on the future of the auto industry.

Great Start: GM Will Make Door Unlock, Remote Start Standard

New Standard Services from GM General Motors announced on June 5th, 2013 that GM Will Make Door Unlock, Remote Start standard (read, free!) for five years through the OnStar RemoteLink Mobile App. The services will be available for OnStar-equipped 2014 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models “even if the owner declines to pay for other …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2013/06/great-start-gm-will-make-door-unlock-remote-start-standard/

Two Second Rule: Distraction Guidelines Seek to Limit Eyes on Text

Limit Eyes on Text In order to keep a driver’s eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recommended disabling several operations in a vehicle unless the vehicle is stopped and in park. It is also recommending a limit to the amount of time a driver …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2013/04/two-second-rule-distraction-guidelines-seek-to-limit-eyes-on-text/

Tesla Model S Incident Shines a Laser on a Broader Problem

Tesla Model S Incident We watched with a good deal of fascination the running battle between New York Times reporter John Broder and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. Broder took to the interstate system in the northeast to test the Tesla Model S and the company’s charging stations. The resulting debacle has Tesla reeling, and …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2013/02/tesla-motors-incident-shines-a-laser-on-a-broader-problem/

The Company’s Problem or the Customer’s Problem?

Who’s Problem is It? Company’s Problem or the Customer’s Problem. A recent headache we had with an online service prompts this post. Nearly every time an attempt is made to use the company’s service, a glitch arises. When the company is contacted, we are walked through the process of clearing the cache and closing and …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2013/01/the-company%e2%80%99s-problem-or-the-customers%e2%80%99-problem/

Least Distracting Typefaces – Is This the Plan?

Least Distracting Typefaces In late September, 2012, an item reported by Automotive News stated that a group at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) was doing a study on typefaces that would mitigate driver distraction. That is, typefaces that would be the least distracting. Sure enough, a bit of additional exploration turned up work at …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2012/11/least-distracting-typefaces-is-this-the-plan/

New Car Problem? Your Dealer Wants the Call, No Matter Whose Frustration

A New Car Problem It is an odd conundrum. Car dealers desperately wish that all drivers understood everything about their cars. And yet, given the alternative, the same dealers wants drivers to call them for answers whenever questions come up. Any call is an opportunity to sell service, even warranty service, and the associated relationship …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2012/09/new-car-problem-your-dealer-wants-the-call-no-matter-whose-frustration/

Dazed and Confused: Automakers’ Education Dilemma

Automakers’ Education Dilemma Drivers and automotive service personnel are often very different animals. But they share one trait. New technologies have them all dazed and confused: drivers trying to understand those technologies and service personnel saddled with trying to explain them, and getting those explanations to stick. Despite years of failure, car companies continue to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2012/08/dazed-and-confused-automakers-education-dilemma/