Your in-vehicle electronics could get you killed – that’s why U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants auto makers to come up with a way to disable in-vehicle devices while cars are moving.
The guidelines ask manufacturers to disable in-vehicle electronic devices that read text messages, display text of more than 30 characters, play video and even many GPS functions, like being able to manually input an address and get directions to that location.
The government would like all of these functions to shut down when the car is moving. The voluntary guidelines ask that all devices only require the use of one hand and that the driver’s eyes should not have to leave the road for more than two seconds. The proposed 2013 Federal budges includes $330 million over six years for distracted driving programs.
“Distracted driving is a dangerous and deadly habit on America’s roadways – that’s why I’ve made it a priority to encourage people to stay focused behind the wheel,” said Secretary LaHood. “These guidelines are a major step forward in identifying real solutions to tackle the issue of distracted driving for drivers of all ages.”
Phase two of the proposed guidelines will address devices such as phones or tablets that people bring into vehicles and Phase 3 will tackle voice-activated controls.
~ Cynthia
Yes, we need the government to compel us for behaving responsibly!
I do a lot of driving for my pay and that includes out of state or in state. Without a GPS that will make the job harder for me. I have an windshield mounted GPS and once I have programed it, it is all voice directions for me to hear to the place I need to go so I dont take my eyes off the road. Before you know it, we will have to call the government and ask if we can go to the bathroom.
Many cars have more than just the driver. A passenger should be able to change GPS settings without the car having to stop.
I do a lot of driving on the Eastern sea board and once I set my G.P.S. to where I’m going, all I do is listen for turns and where they are,without it I would take longer to get where I’m going. As for as taking my eyes off the road to look at it, I was instructed along time ago to never take your eyes off
the road. What is the difference if you take your eyes off the road to look at your mirrors or to take the same time to look at your G.P.S.?
What next? Ban radio/cd/mp3 players because the music might distract the driver? What about talking to passengers? That can be VERY distracting. Will we soon be getting tickets for talking to those in the car with us? Or will we simply ban passengers…? Isn’t it time for Big Brother to get out of our house and our automobile? Isn’t it time to say “ENOUGH!!” to government intrusion into our lives?
Hey people, its all about government control. No matter how you voted, its not going to get any better.
This danger is not substantially different from drunk driving, and there are studies that assert that. It is entirely appropriate to consider what can be done. Just as I would hate to see any of us die at the hands of a drunk driver, I would similarly hate to see any of us die from distracted driving. Would the above paranoids think laws against drunk driving and interlocks preventing that are an intrusion in our “right” to drive drunk? I sure don’t. Good points made by some above on obvious issues that have to be resolved before anything would happen. Paranoia strikes deep, and often has…
Thanks Jay…..
But I don’t need a mommy-state or a daddy-state to follow my every move in life constantly creating new laws to protect me from myself. I would imagine that you are a very happy New Yorker just loving life under Mayor-Tolla Bloomberg!
Can anybody give a good reason (or even a bad reason) why passengers should be banned from using electronics?