It looks like General Motors could be taking a big step to creating safer, semi-autonomous cars.
Japanese manufacturer Takata, who supplies GM (GM) with safety parts, has inked a deal with Australian company Seeing Machines to create sensors that will detect distracted driving, according to a company news release. The deal is set to last for 15 years.
Though the release makes no mention of GM, sources told the Financial Times that the automaker is set to purchase 500,000 of the sensors and create the first mass-produced car with distracted driving detection technology built in. However, an industry insider told Fortune that these numbers are inflated, and that the potential order will not be for nearly that many sensors.
A GM spokesman told Fortune it doesn’t talk about potential future product announcements, but confirmed that Takata is a supplier for the manufacturer.
Seeing Machines notes that it could be several decades until fully driverless cars become popular. In the meantime, it’s expecting “smart” cars with anti-distraction technology will bridge the gap while increasing safety.
Of course, this isn’t the only high tech safety feature that might be coming soon to a car dealership near you. United Services Auto Association notes that other new features could include auto-brakes, collision assurance and adaptive cruise control.
