Your next car might come with a significant upgrade: health monitoring.

Ford Motor Co. is working on smartphone-like apps that could be integrated in the display panel in modern vehicles. These applications will contain health-related data, such as pollen count and air quality, and Bluetooth synchronizers for blood glucose meters.

A press release from the automobile company explains the technology for both allergen sufferers and diabetics.

“For people with diabetes and their caregivers, constant knowledge and control of glucose levels is critical to avoiding hypoglycemia or low glucose, which can cause confusion, lightheadedness, blurry vision and a host of other symptoms that could be dangerous while driving. Many now depend on a portable continuous glucose monitoring device to track their levels.

"Likewise, those with asthma and allergies need to have a clear understanding of their environment and potential symptom triggers — such as pollen levels in the air — that can quickly lead to an attack.”

The question is, of course, whether these data serve as necessary warnings to promote safe driving, or whether they simply offer another distraction to drivers.

LA Times points out that few deadly accidents are caused by some medical condition (between 0.4% and 3%). Epilepsy is the most common cause, followed by insulin-treated diabetes.

In contrast, about 95% traffic accidents are caused by environmental or vehicle conditions or by human error.

—Heather Thompson