Mercedes is going to add its Splitview screens to S-class cars next year, a luxury extra that adds the ability for driver and passenger to view two different things at once on the same dashboard display. One passenger can view the GPS, for example, while the other watches Cannonball Run.

The eight-inch Splitview Command display uses a clever masking system to direct light from alternate pixels in different directions, resulting in a two-at-once viewer where the other screen is completely invisible to one viewer. That will make for much less distraction, ensuring the driver pays attention to the road and navigation cues rather than J.J. McClure in his tricked-out Dodge Tradesman ambulance.

It's an expensive add-on for a high-end car, of course, but it's one that begs an obvious question: Why don't S-class users simply talk to each other? Were I driving, and my passenger was ogling a movie, I'd prefer them to listen over headphones—because Cannonball Run isn't all that funny the second time around.

[via TFTS]