Federal regulators in the US have asked automakers to limit the number of in-vehicle infotainment systems in order to limit distractions while driving, reports Bloomberg. The US Transport Department, in non-binding guidelines, has recommended automakers that restrict the use of Internet-linked applications and video equipment when a vehicle is moving. Automakers are also urged to design navigation and other screen-based systems in a way that drivers would not need to take their eyes off the road for more than two seconds at a time and 12 seconds in total. The guidelines also call for automakers to disable several types of devices unless the vehicle is stopped and shifted into park. The new guidelines issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which will apply only to equipment installed in new vehicles, start in three years.
Significance: According to the federal data, about 3,300 people died in crashes due to distracted driving in 2011, with 387,000 more injured. The latest announcement adds to an existing list of guidelines issued by the US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood aimed to restrict distracted driving in the country. LaHood’s announcement came the same day as the release of a government-funded study concluding that voice-activated text-messaging systems are just as distracting to drivers as systems that require tapping out messages on a keypad. The new guidelines, however, are likely to raise concerns amongst automakers. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, whose members include automakers such as GM and Toyota, has questioned the expected outcome of the proposed rules saying the guidelines should be extended to cover hand-held devices so that drivers don’t try to bypass restrictions on factory-installed electronics. “Our concern is that limiting built-in systems without simultaneously addressing portable devices could result in drivers choosing not to connect their phones in order to access the functionality they want,” the Alliance said in a statement. LaHood said last June that his agency might also draft guidelines for mobile devices and voice-activated controls in cars.
