Traffic

When my daughter was young we did a lot of traveling, mostly by car. Anyone who has ever traveled with a child will know how difficult it is to keep them entertained in an enclosed space hour-after-hour. I thought I was so clever when I discovered a 13-inch TV/VCR combo that also came with an adapter so I could plug it into the car.  I wedged this latest technological innovation between the front seats and secured it as best I could with bungee cords. Everyone who saw it thought it was a great idea and before I knew it most of my friends and family who had kids had one of these TVs in their car.

Go ahead. It’s okay to laugh. Technology is rapidly changing the driving experience. Now kids have technology that travels with them, whether it be their phones, iPods, iPads, laptops etc. Entertaining kids in a car is easier that ever.

But technological advancements aren’t just for kids. The GPS has become standard in so many vehicles. Some drivers wouldn’t think of traveling anywhere without one. There are rain-sensing wipers and cars that virtually park themselves.

Some vehicles boast “chill zones:” air conditioned compartments built into the car to keep drinks cool. Talk about luxury.

There have been so many innovations under the hood as well. One of the latest is a brand new suspension design conceived by Bose, a name synonymous with acoustics. Apparently, The Bose system uses a linear electromagnetic motor (LEM) at each wheel in lieu of a conventional shock-and-spring setup.  Without getting technical this suspension system is designed to “virtually eliminate all vibrations in the passenger cabin. The wheel’s motion can be so finely controlled that the body of the car remains level regardless of what’s happening at the wheel. The LEM can also counteract the body motion of the car while accelerating, braking and cornering, giving the driver a greater sense of control.”

Wow. Maybe I find this a fascinating concept because my cars have generally been clunkers. They don’t always start out that way but over time, well, you know what happens. As someone who spends a lot of time in her car, a smooth ride would be quite the luxury.