LAS VEGAS—There's a lot that's cool about the update of Ford's Sync system. But Sync goes beyond cool and enters the realm of revolutionary. It's really the first successful integration of the automobile and our oftentimes distracting mobile technologies. Part the system's success is due to the sophisticated speech recognition technology developed by Nuance Communications.

Nuance specializes in backend and white-label services. It’s enabling Ford drivers everywhere to keep their hands on the wheel when changing radio stations and getting directions while on the move.

I recently talked with Rick Mack, vice president of corporate communications for Nuance, here at CES. He said that while the technology is exciting now, its use cases are seemingly infinite. Mack said the company intends to get proactive as local, state and federal governments begin considering legislation to curb distracted driving.

That's a good thing. Texting while driving has gained national attention as of late and for good reason. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) sponsored study that was completed by Virginia Tech in 2006, visual manual tasks significantly increase risks. Dialing with a handheld device had a risk ratio of 2.79 (considered to be statistically significant), and looking away from the road for more than two seconds was associated with a risk ratio of 2.27. The same study also found that nearly 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of all near crashes involved the driver looking away from the roadway just prior to the onset of the incident.

The danger is very real but few would consider abandoning their wireless devices entirely while driving, which is where Nuance comes in. What's notable is that these types of systems aren't just a passing fade but rather the beginning of a new technological evolution.

The Automotive Voice Interface User Survey conducted by Maix Research and Consulting in 2009 found that consumers will take advantage of automobile voice recognition capabilities if they’re built in. In fact, eight out of nine respondents who own speech-enabled in-car systems and navigation devices regularly use the speech recognition capabilities. Among respondents who regularly use speech recognition systems, 83 percent always or frequently place calls and 80 percent accept phone calls with voice commands, while 76 percent regularly enter an address by voice.

For those who have yet not tried Nuance’s technology, the company offers a pair of speech recognition applications for smartphones. Nuance currently has a speech-to-text app, as well as a voice search app.