????是不是覺得開車的時候發短信就算是分心了？現在新奧迪A6搭載了一款增強版的導航系統，它采用了來自谷歌（Google）的技術，提供了搜索和影音播放功能，它可能使駕駛者的分心程度達到一個全新的高度。不過這個系統中也包含了一些安全措施，可以減少發生事故的可能性。

????奧迪導航系統的標準地圖格式已經被替換成了谷歌地球（Google Earth）的衛星影像，而且每臺轎車自帶一個WiFi熱點（服務由T-Mobile公司提供，每月收費30美元）。谷歌可以搜索餐廳或其它地標，然后通過汽車的導航系統提供導航。

????想知道某家汽車旅館里是否有兒童泳池嗎？只需搜索這家汽車旅店的名字即可。你還可以得知這家旅店長什么樣子，它都配備了哪些功能。如果你對搜索結果感到滿意，可以讓導航系統為你帶路。系統會自動發出一條消息，提醒你將谷歌的技術整合到導航系統中會帶來哪些風險，也會提醒你它將增加駕駛時分心的可能性。

????不過奧迪還研發出了加強型的高科技安全裝置，它可以降低A6轎車遭遇事故的機率，還可以增加轎車在遭遇事故時的安全系數。車上的雷達和探像頭可以對車身的前后左右進行探測，看看是否有發生事故的風險。如果危險逼近，就會迅速在儀表盤上發出報警信號。“好比拍了一下你的肩膀，”一位奧迪發言人說。

????如果碰撞已經難以避免，那么在碰撞發生之前的幾毫秒，安全帶會收緊，車窗和天窗會自動關上。如果是后方有車要撞上來了，而且前方還有一輛車在行駛，那么轎車的軟件就會自動計算是否應該進行制動，以減輕二次碰撞造成的傷害。另外除非碰撞的確發生了，否則安全氣囊不會展開。

????奧迪發言人馬克?丹納克表示：“高級駕駛信息和高主動安全性這兩個趨勢是協同發展的。如果你把iPhone帶到車里，那么你已經可以使用這些功能了。不過我們把這些功能整合進了汽車里，使它們盡可能地安全和實用。”

????“長官，電腦做到了！”

????高技信息技術正在創造出越來越多的汽車應用程序，它把汽車變成了一部安在輪子上的電腦。最終駕駛員承擔的操控和駕駛任務可能會越來越少。去年谷歌就展示了一款無人駕駛汽車，它在加州的公路上自動駕駛了1，000英里，中間差不多沒有出任何事故。本月早些時候，內華達州的立法委員們還通過了一項法案，授權該州的交通局起草一系列規則和標準，以規范無人駕駛汽車在州級公路上的行駛。

????沃爾沃（Volvo）也引入了一個名叫“城市安全”的系統，它可以降低因駕駛員未能及時剎車而導致低速撞車的可能性（往往是追尾）。汽車的后視鏡上安裝了一個激光傳感器，它始終測量著汽車與前車的相對速度，如果在駕駛員在必要時未進行剎車操作，系統就會自動制動。

????汽車是否有一天會擺脫撞車夢魘的困擾？丹納克表示：“在未來的某一時刻，這是能實現的。至于目前，我們可以提醒司機道路上是否有障礙物，并且盡量減小車禍造成的損傷。”這款配備了尖端的安全和IT功能的奧迪A6轎車起價為50，000美元左右，搭載了一款3升渦輪增壓發動機。再加4，400美元，還可獲贈高級禮包，其中包括谷歌地球和6個月的3G無線上網服務。

????用不了幾年，新奧迪A6上的這些高級功能也會出現在平民車型上。也許有一天，我們只需在導航上設好目的地，谷歌的無人駕駛系統就會自動把我們帶到那兒。不知離這一天還有多遠？

????譯者：樸成奎

????Think that texting while driving is a distraction? An enhanced navigation system in the new Audi A6, drawing on technology from Google (GOOG), offers search and display functions that could take driver distraction to a whole new level. But Audi is also including safety features that make the car less likely to crash.

????The standard map format on Audi's navigation has been replaced by Google Earth's satellite-photo images. And since the car serves as its own WiFi hotspot (available through a $30-a-month contract with T-Mobile), Google can search for restaurants or other landmarks, then provide guidance via the car's navigation.

????Want to know if the motel has a pool for the kids? Just search the name of the motel. You can also find out how it looks and what features if offers, and if you like what you see then tell the navigation system to guide you there. An automated message does warn the driver of the dangers of integrating Google technology into a navigation system – and the increased chance of drawing a attention away from the task of driving.

????But Audi has also developed enhanced high-tech safety features that make the A6 more difficult to crash, as well as safer in the event of an accident. Radar and cameras can detect from the front, side and rear of the A6 whether the car is in danger of a collision, and flash a warning on the dash. "A tap on the shoulder," an Audi spokesman calls it.

????Milliseconds before a collision the seat belts tense and windows close, as does the sunroof. If a collision is imminent from the rear, the car's software calculates whether to deploy the brakes in order to mitigate a second collision, if sensors show another car is ahead. The airbags still don't deploy unless there's an actual crash.

????"These two trends – advanced driver information and active safety – are developing in tandem," said Mark Dahncke, an Audi spokesman. "When you carry your iPhone in the car you have this functionality already. We integrate the features into the car to make them as safe and useful as possible."

????"Officer, the computer did it!"

????Advanced information technology is creating more and more automotive applications, turning cars into rolling computers. Eventually drivers may need to assume less responsibility for actual operation of their vehicles. Last year Google demonstrated a driver-less car that navigated 1,000 miles of California roads, more or less free of incidents. And earlier this month, legislators in Nevada passed a bill authorizing the state's Transportation Department to draw up rules and standards for driver-less cars on state roads.

????Volvo has introduced a system called "City Safety" that reduces the chance of low-speed crashes in which the driver fails to brake in time, usually causing a rear-end collision. A laser sensor mounted on the rear-view mirror constantly measures that relative speed with the vehicle ahead, ordering the brakes to apply pressure in the event that driver fails to do so.

????Might cars one day be uncrashable? "It will happen at some point," said Dahncke. "For now, we can warn the driver of any obstacle in the way and minimize the effects of a crash to some degree." Audi's cutting-edge safety and IT features come in a vehicle that starts at about $50,000 for the 3-liter turbo engine, with $4,400 extra for a premium package that includes Google Earth and six months of 3G wireless service.

????The features offered on Audi's A6 will become available on middle-of-the-road models in a few years. Who knows how long before we will be able to set the destination on our car and let Google do the rest?