Information Overload?  The Past, Present, and Future of In-Vehicle Information 
                                         Technologies.
                                         Miguel Perez
                                         Virginia Tech.

Americans have considerably increased their demand for and consumption of information 
in the recent past.   This trend does not only apply to work and home settings, but also to 
vehicles.  Automakers have complied with this demand, and now offer a variety of 
standard and optional equipment that provides a variety of on-demand information to 
drivers.  The recent widespread availability of wireless networks might also increase, in 
the near future, the breadth and depth of this in-vehicle information.  These trends raise 
traffic safety concerns, as drivers may become distracted from the driving task by these 
information technologies, increasing their crash risk.  This talk will describe the types of 
in-vehicle information systems available, present the different research methods used in 
assessing the safety of particular in-vehicle information systems, discuss future trends for 
these technologies, and explore areas of in-vehicle information where computer science 
research expertise is most needed.