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Safety group pans GM’s new Marketplace in-dash shopping

When it comes to our cars, is the Internet of Things a godsend? Or a hidden menace that will create more problems than it will solve? On the same day General Motors announced it will equip newer-model cars with its in-dash Marketplace e-commerce app, a prominent safety group was shooting it down. National Safety Council President Deborah Hersman tells Bloomberg the technology will only contribute to distracted driving and hurt efforts to stem the tide of rising auto fatalities, which grew 5.6 percent to more than 37,000 in the U.S. in 2016. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says distracted driving was responsible for 3,477 fatalities and 391,000 injuries in 2015, the most recent year for which it has data. "There's nothing about this that's safe," Hersman told Bloomberg. "If this is why they want WiFi in the car, we're going to see fatality numbers go up even higher than they are now." Marketplace, developed with IBM, will allow drivers — or more often, one hopes, their passengers — to order coffee or food, find gas stations and reserve hotel rooms from their dashboard screens. The technology is set to be uploaded automatically to nearly 1.9 million GM vehicles model-year 2017 and later that are equipped with WiFi hotspots and compatible systems. By the end of 2018, about 4 million Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles will be equipped with Marketplace. The app will debut with a limited number of participating retailers, including TGI Fridays, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Starbucks, with more likely to join later. Online retail giant Amazon is also partnering with automakers such as Ford to bring e-commerce capabilities inside the car through its Alexa personal assistant. While convenience is nice, one other thing is becoming clear as the IoT wedges its way into our cars: It's taking aim at some decidedly first-world problems.Related Video: Image Credit: GM Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Technology Infotainment in-car entertainment marketplace e-commerce

GMC recalls 740,000 Terrains to address headlight issue

GM is recalling 740,581 of its 2010-2017 GMC Terrains to address an issue with their headlight lenses that allow intense beams of light to escape at certain angles. GM had petitioned the government for an exemption because the errant photons aren't being cast directly at oncoming drivers, but after a review, NHTSA denied the request, leaving the ball in GM's court. After taking time to "review NHTSA's decision and explore potential next steps," GM relented and announced a recall campaign.  The Terrain's headlight design allows a narrow sliver of low-beam light to reflect off the inner surface of the high beam reflector, GM's defect report says. The reflections depart the lens at angles that don't make them directly hazardous to oncoming drivers, which is why GM petitioned for an exemption. However GM says the bright spots can cause glare or just be inherently distracting, either of which can cause problems on the road. Per NHTSA, these slivers are four times brighter than allowed for low-beam headlights.  If you own a last-generation GMC Terrain, expect to start receiving notices about this recall in mid- to late April, however the company has not yet said exactly how the problem will be remedied. Current Terrain owners can rest easy, as 2018 and newer models have a completely different headlight assembly.  Recalls GMC Ownership Safety Crossover SUV

Watch GM's new pickup crash its way to five-star NHTSA ratings

General Motors has just scored a big win with its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, acing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration New Car Assessment Program. The two full-size trucks had already netted a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in their crew-cab variants, but the new testing certifies them as five-star trucks in both regular and double-cab bodystyles, so GM's trucks offer top ratings across the board.
"Our incredibly capable trucks have been engineered to be some of the safest," Gay Kent, GM's general director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness said. "We've designed the vehicle structure, strategically placed high-strength steel and developed the occupant restraint system to achieve high levels of safety performance."
The scores mark the Silverado and Sierra as the first pickups to net five-star scores since NHTSA beefed up their testing regime in 2011, a nice feather in GM's cap as it continues to slug out the pickup truck wars with crosstown rivals Ford and Ram.