Improvements in head-up display (HUD) technology, which presents key information within a driver’s line of sight, will help drive the market value of that technology to $400 million by 2012, according to a new report from ABI Research.

ABI principal analyst David Alexander said the multiplication of features and applications in cars has led to concerns about information overload and distracted drivers. Head-up displays are one solution, since they reduce the need to look away from the road ahead.

Alexander noted that head-up displays introduced in the 1980s “did not wow the consumer as hoped,” due to limited functionality, lack of clarity, insufficient brightness, and “less-than-stellar” reliability. But new HUD options from BMW and Citroën are expected to generate interest. Alexander said the market is now dominated by GM, with Toyota and Honda “waiting in the wings with their own versions.