Apple CarPlay is getting these 3 new features to help make driving safer

Apple recently announced a bunch of new accessibility features for iPhones and iPads, including eye tracking capabilities. Once enabled, these new features allow hands-free navigation, as well as help with carsickness.

Turns out though, iPhones and iPads aren’t the only products from Apple’s portfolio that are getting these (welcome) new upgrades. The Cupertino-based company has also announced three major new features for Apple CarPlay, in a bid to ensure a more comfortable and safer driving experience for you.

Voice controls

First up, we have Voice controls. It’s no mystery that navigating through the large touchscreen in a car, whether for navigation, music, or calls is especially annoying, and the last thing you want to do rather than concentrate on the road. Moreover, making it all the more difficult (and dangerous) is also the notorious lack of tactile feedback on these screens.

ALSO READ: Apple Maps will soon give you custom directions based on the car you drive; here’s how

Well, voice commands will now allow drivers to navigate through the Apple CarPlay interface and control the apps, without ever having to take their hands off the wheel, guaranteeing a more comfortable and safer drive.

Sound recognition

Next up is sound recognition. This feature, aimed at drivers who may face challenges with their hearing, alerts drivers about specific sounds including horns from other vehicles and sirens, via a notification that shows up on the CarPlay interface.

This will allow them to safely get out of the way of faster moving traffic and reduce mishaps. What remains to be seen though, is if the feature can distinguish between real-world horns and sirens, and those used in radio advertisements and songs one may be listening to while driving.

Colour filters for CarPlay

Lastly, there’s colour filters for CarPlay. Aimed at drivers who suffer from colour-blindness, this feature makes the Apple CarPlay interface appear in colour-blind-friendly colours. These will essentially combine two basic hues: Blue and Yellow.

Additionally, CarPlay is also getting other features such as bold text, and the ability to enlarge text as well, to make navigation around it easier. Bear in mind, in India, only people with mild to medium degrees of colour-blindness are legally allowed to drive, provided they have a fitness certificate signed and stamped by their doctor.

ALSO READ: Your iPhones, iPads will soon help you tackle carsickness with a brand-new feature

All of these features are expected to be rolled out to users globally in the later part of the year, presumably after Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, where the company is expected to unveil iOS 18, Apple’s AI feature suite for iPhones and iPads, and more. WWDC is slated to be held between June 10 and June 14 this year.