As Drivers in Asia Clock Record Times in Traffic, Here Are 5 Ways SYNC 3 Can Help You Safely Take Your Time Back
March 4th, 2018 Bangkok – Ever thought about how you can make your commute more productive, perhaps by catching up on the important news of the day, or even learning a new language? As you spend hours sitting in traffic, you may start to feel your time wasting away, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.
According to research conducted by the Boston Consulting Group, commute times in several Southeast Asian cities are steadily rising due to worsening congestion. Bangkok drivers spend an average of 72 minutes each day sitting in traffic, similarly in Manila and Hanoi, drive times are now close to an hour at 66 minutes and 58 minutes, respectively.
œWhen you consider that drivers in Bangkok spend more than 20 days per year stuck in traffic, there’s a huge opportunity to turn gridlock into something more meaningful, Pipatphol Aunnapirugz, General Manager of RMA City Motors.
And the losses are more than just wasted time. Road congestion costs Asian economies an estimated two to five percent of gross domestic product annually due to lost time and increased transport costs, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank.
The stresses of commuting can also take a toll on one’s mental and physical health, with research data showing that those with longer commutes have a significantly higher chance of suffering from depression due to boredom and social isolation. Sitting in traffic can also lead to anger and frustration, which is a leading cause of high blood pressure and anxiety.
While traffic congestion is unavoidable in most major Asian cities, that doesn’t mean time spent in your car has to be wasted. Ford’s SYNC 3 infotainment system lets you spend your time in traffic more meaningfully that still allows you to pay attention to the roads without distraction. Here are five things that SYNC 3 can do to help you take back your day.
Learn something new (or rock out to your favorite tune)
Spending hours in traffic presents the ideal opportunity to learn something new. Load some useful audiobooks onto your smartphone, and then play them back in your car via SYNC 3. From picking up a new skill to learning a new language, there’s virtually no limit to what you can achieve, optimizing your commute and transforming it into a time for personal growth.
Reply to text messages with just your voice
Ford SYNC 3 offers smartphone integration with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Regardless of which smartphone you use, you will be able to sync it with the system and access its functionalities while on the move. More importantly, you can use SYNC 3 to read and reply to text messages safely via voice recognition technology.
