TomTom has a Doh! moment with Homer Simpson satnav

happygeek 0 367 Views

There is little doubt that when it comes to consumer satellite navigation devices, TomTom pretty much rules the roost. There is equally little doubt that in the past it has made some pretty serious mistakes, such as introducing the world to the first virus infection distributed by a satnav device. But surely introducing the voice of Homer Simpson to announce your driving directions has to go down as the biggest mistake so far.

Not a financial mistake, that's for sure. By doing a deal with Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Locutio Voice Technologies, TomTom has pulled off something of a commercial coup by getting the genuine and original voice of Homer Simpson, as recorded by Dan Castellaneta, onto its devices. The fact that it can charge owners who want to upgrade their units to the new voice a none-too-shoddy UKP £7.95 to download the voice files almost guarantees a nice little earner I suspect.

However, I also suspect it will not be long until we hear of someone blaming Homer Simpson and the satnav through which he is speaking, for an accident. After all, while it is very funny (at least the first time) to hear Homer saying such things as "take the third right. We might find an ice cream truck! Mmm…ice cream" it is also hugely distracting if you are actually trying to get from A to B. Let's face it, drivers really do not need any additional excuse for .

TomTom promises "unpredictable and comical commands" when what road safety and common sense surely demands are clear and precise commands?

Damian Woodward, sales and marketing manager, TomTom UK & Ireland, insists that "Celebrity voices are the most popular downloads that we offer our customers to enable them to personalise their driving experience. With Homer Simpson’s voice helping them to navigate during their trip, TomTom users will not only travel safely and with less stress, but they will also be highly entertained along the way."

Sorry Damian but quite how having Homer going into some comedy routine just, in effect, to say turn left is beyond me.

Some of the Homer satnav samples are available so you can make up your own mind. Let me know what you think, bit of harmless fun or a safety hazard?

Dani AI

Generated

As points out, celebrity voice packs turned satnavs into a novelty market and the Homer voice grabbed headlines when it appeared. That cultural angle explains why vendors made character downloads available, but popularity and entertainment value are separate questions from safety. (digitalspy.com)

Controlled and naturalistic research shows that voice interactions are not distraction‑free. Studies for the AAA Foundation and University of Utah found that interacting with voice systems can leave drivers cognitively impaired for many seconds after the interaction, and naturalistic crash data links in‑vehicle device use to increased crash risk. Those effects matter whether the voice is serious or comic, because they change how long attention is withdrawn from driving. (sciencedaily.com)

On the question of a funny, recognisable voice specifically: evidence suggests the acoustic “type” (synthetic vs recorded) is not the main hazard, but voice personality does affect trust and decision making. Experimental work shows drivers may rely on a high‑trust voice even when it conflicts with road signs — which makes ad‑libs and jokes at critical moments potentially problematic. (aaafoundation.org)

Practical takeaway: treat celebrity voices as optional entertainment, not as a safety feature. Program destinations before moving, pick concise/clear instruction settings where available, mute or disable non‑essential quips, mount the device so it does not obstruct vision, and have a passenger handle reprogramming. Official driving guidance also reminds drivers they must avoid distractions and keep control of the vehicle. Following those simple steps keeps the fun without unnecessarily increasing risk. (aviva.com)

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