Car ownership can be expensive, from fuel prices to car loan payments to insurance. Now, a new report finds that vehicle owners are spending a great deal of money hooking up their iPods to car entertainment systems.
During 2011, consumers bought more than $170 million worth of equipment designed to hook up smartphones and mp3 players to car stereo and entertainment systems, according to market research firm The NPD Group. Nearly 80 percent of car owners use some form of media device in the car, and roughly 37 percent of iPod owners say they use their device in the car "all the time."
Despite their popularity, the presence of media connection devices in cars is still not the norm. Only 18 percent of car owners have an auxiliary input jack in their automobile, while just 11 percent have a USB connection. But with 32 percent of consumers surveyed citing in-vehicle connectivity as a major factor when considering car credit to finance an auto loan for a future new car purchase, that may change.
If the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has its way, however, in-vehicle distractions might not be so prevalent. The agency recently announced guidelines that could limit drivers' use of distracting devices like smartphones.
