2012 Automotive Technology of the Year Award

There is a fierce debate going on about whether we are all trying to do too much in our vehicles other than pay attention to the road.

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for a ban on all cell-phone use in cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is threatening its own serious curbs.

At the same time, automakers are working overtime to put ever more communications, entertainment and active safety devices and technology into new cars. In fact, these emerging technologies are perhaps the biggest differentiators these days among automakers trying to claim reputations for quality that can translate, when done properly, into big profits.

AOL Autos, backed up by a panel of judges from Autoblog, Engadget, The Huffington Post, and some carefully chosen guest judges, aims to be the single best source and arbiter of just how well these technologies are working. Along the way, we will listen to and even enlist the input and help of our readers to reward innovators who succeed, and spotlight those who do not.

Glad you can come along for the ride.

David Kiley
Editor-in-Chief AOL Autos