Split screen display on show at Los Angeles Auto Show 2009

(Mercedes Benz)

Car maker Mercedes-Benz will debut new in-car technology that allows multiple media to be shown on one screen at Los Angeles's premier car event.

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it will be debuting its new Splitview screen inside an S-Class at the Los Angeles Auto Show (December 4-13). The technology, originally announced by the firm at the end of 2008, will dramatically increase the safety of in-car entertainment by limiting multimedia images to the passenger.

Splitview delivers multiple images from one screen, depending on the direction from which the screen is viewed. According to Mercedes-Benz, the driver will be able to view the satellite navigation system whilst the passenger can watch a movie on the same screen. The effect is created by placing two banks of pixels next to each other on the eight-inch screen and filtering the display to mask one image from a specific angle.

The innovation is the latest attempt to prevent road accidents and fatalities caused by driver distraction, which caused nearly 5870 fatalities last year in the US alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Jaguar has also confirmed that the new XJ will include dual-view technology when released next year.