Chrysler recently unveiled one of the most fallacious advancements ever to grace our modern age of technology.

Its 2009 models will now accommodate UConnect Web, a service that essentially allows the entire car to dish out Internet connectivity and Wifi to its passengers.

Keefe Leung, the manager of Chrysler’s technology department, justifies this need in order to keep up with recent technological developments.

“People are connected in their lives everywhere today,” Leung said in an interview with the New York Times. “The one place that they spend a lot of time that they’re not connected is in their vehicle, and we want to bring that to them.”

After all, Chrysler is the brand that donned the “living room on wheels” concept for its minivans. UConnect Web will certainly expand this concept by allowing passengers to utilize their computer as if they were sitting in the comforts of their home.

However, while many customers will be swayed by UConnect, the increased possibility of driving impairment is still highly critical.

As drivers, we have shown terrible resistance to the temptations that cell phones and other electronic devices pose.

The entire process, from pulling out our phones while clutching the wheel with one hand to sacrificing some of our cognizance to chat on the phone, has proven to be one of the most dangerous combinations of technology and common sense.

Laptops simply exacerbate the already-precarious circumstances.

In fact, drivers can still experience cognitive impairment when the front passenger is, for example, blaring music or watching videos on YouTube, and will certainly be tempted to glance over at the computer.

Although Chrysler does not encourage any of its drivers, but rather its passengers, to utilize UConnect while on the road, the company cannot seriously expect all people to practice safe and secure methods.

Even a small group that does not make the correct judgments regarding use of technology while driving can potentially create a hazardous situation for countless others.

My “living room”, after all, can crash into yours.

It’s a small wonder that, in July 2008, California banned the use of cell phones while driving, a preventive, albeit ineffective, measure against the most predominant technological diversion. This law has recently expanded to banish text messaging.

And yet, Chrysler is now installing an even more appealing distraction into its new models.

Without a doubt, Chrysler ultimately values profit over the safety of its customers.

The company’s mere discouragement against hazardous conduct is a clear indication of its lack of consideration for such security, and will not be enough to prevent traffic accidents from occurring or to avert any dangerous exploitation of UConnect.

The idea that the brains behind Chrysler’s technology are developing such technology for its 2009 models is truly baffling.