Questionably Safe MINI Connected Brings Social Networking to the Dashboard

We predict over the next year the proportional number of MINI's involved in car accidents will far outweigh that of any other vehicle. Why? Because MINI has deemed it worthy to provide access to popular social networks directly from the dashboard. We all know people can't text and drive so why would anyone think doing a very similar thing interacting with the dashboard would be any different? Yes, interacting with the dashboard is probably easier than interacting with a phone but it's still a diversion.

With this feature, people's eyes will be drawn to the dashboard rather than the road, they will be distracted while attempting to consume the content and they'll turn into yet another idiot on the road who isn't paying attention.

Do we love the feature and would it influence us to by a MINI? Damn right it would! Who wouldn't love full on access to social networks right from the dashboard of your car? But that doesn't make it right. Or safe. We predict a bit of "dashboard" legislation coming down in the next few years on what car manufacturers can design in to the vehicle. To re-coin a phrase, "if it distracts, it's whack."

That aside, we like the commercial which delivers a very humorous ending anyone who's used Google Maps will appreciate. The work was directed by Jochen Hirschfeld for Living Room Pictures and was shot in Germany.

There's also an iPhone app that goes with the feature that allows you to sync things up with the vehicle.