GM Marketplace: Order Coffee and Waffles While Driving

December 7, 2017 — In another sign that automakers aren't too concerned with distracted driving, General Motors will start selling cars that allow drivers to shop, make reservations and perform all kinds of dangerous distractions right from the dash.

GM is promoting its"Marketplace" e-commerce platform by saying, "GM Lets Customers Order Their Morning Coffee With Their Car: A simple tap on the dash can make the daily drive more productive for millions of customers."

According to the automaker, a driver will be able to:

"...order food, find the closest gas station to save on fuel, and make dinner reservations on the go" and drivers will now have the "opportunity to more safely interact with a growing number of their favorite brands in retail, fuel, hospitality, food, hotel and transportation through the in-vehicle touchscreen."

GM says it created the service for consumers, but the automaker is being paid by merchants used through Marketplace. The automaker will make a financial cut of every transaction made through the app, although GM didn't say how much they are making.

Marketplace is being added to millions of existing 2017-2018 cars, trucks and crossovers that have compatible infotainment systems.

If you're thinking, "surely GM doesn't want us to go shopping and place orders while we're driving?" For that, we refer you to GM's statement about the question:

"Marketplace is designed to be used while driving. It leverages machine learning from real-time interaction data, such as location, time of day and a driver’s established digital relationship with third-party merchants, to offer highly personalized experiences."

GM then goes on to say it designs its in-vehicle systems to "minimize manual interactions, helping drivers keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel." How a company minimizes manual distractions by encouraging drivers to touch infotainment systems is a subject for psychologists, but safety advocates won't buy it.

Deborah Hersman, president of the National Safety Council, told Bloomberg, "There’s nothing about this that’s safe" and "we’re going to see fatality numbers go up even higher than they are now."

A GM spokesman says the goal of Marketplace is to provide a safer alternative for drivers using their phones to shop and place orders while driving. However, that's like telling someone to jump from a 40-foot ledge because it's safer than jumping from a 50-foot cliff.

GM also says Marketplace follows distracted driver guidelines, but those guidelines are completely voluntary and are not mandated by federal safety regulators.

As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration looks into its crystal ball about why highway fatalities continue to increase even as vehicles are allegedly made safer, automakers have been given a free pass to create, allow and encourage the use of distracting devices inside vehicles.

Apparently GM didn't get the memo about a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Utah. Results of the study show infotainment systems place a high demand on drivers, no matter if a driver uses voice commands, buttons or touchscreens.

University researchers found that even using voice commands does nothing to help with driver distractions. In addition, the study concluded older cars are safer just based on the task of changing radio stations.

Researchers determined changing the radio in an older car takes about two seconds, but changing the radio on an infotainment system in today's cars can take 24 seconds to accomplish.

Now those researchers will need to study the safety difference between older cars without infotainment systems and GM cars where a driver can order a new pair of pants while driving.

GM named several merchants involved so far and the allegedly safe benefits of drivers using Marketplace:

"Starbucks offers another convenient way for customers to order ahead and enjoy their favorite handcrafted beverage or food item. And as part of the Starbucks Rewards™ program, members enjoy more value by earning Rewards towards free food and drink."
"Dunkin’ Donuts will help customers start their day off right through an experience that allows DD Perks members to preorder and pay onscreen for their favorite coffee and donut, at their preferred pickup location."
"Wingstop will allow you to skip the wait by re-ordering your favorites and paying ahead, so you can get home in time for the big game."
"TGI Fridays will let customers schedule a table reservation for them and their closest friends and family when they need a break from the week."
"Shell will enable the exceptional driver experience, providing ease of payment and savings with INSTANT GOLD STATUS in the Fuel Rewards® program. Customers’ closest Shell station will be identified and station amenities showcased among the largest fuel station network in the U.S., with the ability to pay in-dash coming soon."
"ExxonMobil will quickly locate Exxon and Mobil fuel stations with details of what they offer, route you there and get you back on the road faster."
"Priceline.com gives drivers access to hundreds of thousands of hotels and exclusive hotel savings on the go."
"Parkopedia allows drivers to find, reserve and pay for parking, all at the click of a button."
"Applebee’s ensures customers are never too far from Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood whether close to home or miles away with the ability to locate their nearest restaurant, order featured menu items and reorder recent favorites through the convenience of their vehicle’s touchscreen."
"IHOP makes it easy for guests to enjoy hot, fresh all-day breakfast favorites like fluffy buttermilk pancakes on the go, thanks to safe and secure on-dash ordering and location service capabilities that help search and find the nearest restaurant for pickup."
"delivery.com empowers the neighborhood economy by enabling customers to order online from their favorite local restaurants, wine and spirits shops, grocery stores and laundry and dry-cleaning providers."