Safety and Driver Assistance becomes its own category, separate from security

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – April 20, 2016 – The Mobile Electronics Group has made a change to the vendor category of this year’s Mobile Electronics Industry Awards. The Safety and Retention category will now be split into two categories: Vehicle Security and Convenience, and Safety and Driver Assistance. The change enables industry participants to recognize companies that have excelled in providing vehicle and content protection as well as companies that help drivers stay safe and informed on the road.

“Each year we take an in-depth look at the awards makeup to ensure that it is in step with the current trends and practices of the mobile electronics industry,” said Solomon Daniels, program administrator. “Last year we noticed that there were several companies—those that solely produce safety or driver information products—that were not adequately represented. We’re taking steps this year to ensure that they have a proper place in the awards process.”

Prior to this change, safety was a subcategory of vehicle security, stemming from the fact that alarm and remote start manufacturers were also the driving force behind the industry’s first security-related features, such as GPS tracking, roadside assistance, and stolen vehicle recovery.

Today, safety has evolved into products and services that arm the driver with information to improve road awareness, increase efficiency, and minimize mishaps. This includes maneuvering aid cameras, dash cameras, radar detection, and the emerging line of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) products that provide lane departure and crash warnings.

As part of the awards, industry participants will vote for nominated companies in five categories. The company with the highest number of votes will earn the Top Vendor honor in that category and be eligible to win Vendor of the Year. Vendors have until May 6 to nominate their companies for inclusion in the awards process.