The movement towards a smart car

The NY Times reports on the growth of the high-tech car market, namely the 2005 Acura RL being able to understand voice commands for directions (such as nearest ATM), make and receive phone calls via Bluetooth, and get messages from Acura if there are any recalls. The smart, hands-free operation may give users a false sense of security, however, as a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study states talking via headsets is just as much as a distraction as holding a phone to one's ear. But as long as car manufacturers can stay away from implementing annoying systems like BMW's iDrive (you know what we're talking about?), we're happy.