CHARLESTON, W.Va -- Most of the vehicles Jackie Adkins sells these days come with voice-activated communication and entertainment systems that allow drivers to control music and make hands-free cell phone calls.
Those systems include MyFord Touch and Ford Synch -- two technologies that will be on display at this weekend's West Virginia International Auto Show at the Charleston Civic Center.
"It's the option people ask about first," said Adkins, a sales consultant at the Stephens Auto Center in Boone County. "It's about safety and convenience. You never have to take your hands off the steering wheel."
Ford's Synch, first sold in late 2007, is offered on 14 Ford models and five Lincoln models. Synch allows drivers to operate Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and digital MP3 players, using voice commands or by pushing a button on the steering wheel.
Sync also can receive text messages and read them aloud. Or you can dictate a message and have it sent as a text.
Such technology may become even more important as lawmakers in many states -- including those in West Virginia -- propose legislation to outlaw texting while driving.
"It's all voice-activated," Adkins said. "It even interprets messages like 'LOL' (laughing out loud). The main reason they want this is for the hands-free cell phone."
Sync, which comes standard in some Ford models and costs about $500 as an option, also has a "911 assist" application that will automatically call an emergency operator during a serious accident during which a vehicle's air bag deploys.
Other popular Sync functions provide traffic directions and "vehicle health reports" that give information on everything from a car battery's charge to fuel and fluid levels.
"It's not just the younger generation that wants this. It's everybody," Adkins said. "Older folks might not have MP3 players, but they use it with their cell phones."
Ford's newest in-vehicle communication system, MyFord Touch, is considered the next generation of Sync.
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