NHTSA Issues Distracted Driving Guidelines
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released proposed guidelines Nov. 23 that are designed to address driver distraction caused by mobile and other electronic devices.
The announcement marked the second phase of these voluntary guidelines. The first phase focused on devices or systems built into the vehicle.
"As millions of Americans take to the roads for Thanksgiving gatherings, far too many are put at risk by drivers who are distracted by their cellphones," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a press release issued by NHTSA. “These common-sense guidelines, grounded in the best research available, will help designers of mobile devices build products that cut down on distraction on the road."
The proposed guidelines are designed to encourage portable and aftermarket electronic device developers to design products that, when used while driving, reduce the potential for driver distraction. NHTSA encourages manufacturers to implement features such as pairing, in which a portable device is linked to a vehicle’s infotainment system, and Driver Mode, a simplified user interface.
Both features limit the time a driver’s eyes are off the road.
"NHTSA has long encouraged drivers to put down their phones and other devices, and just drive," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. "With driver distraction one of the factors behind the rise of traffic fatalities, we are committed to working with the industry to ensure that mobile devices are designed to keep drivers’ eyes where they belong — on the road."
According to NHTSA, fatalities were up 10.4% in the first half of 2016 after recording the biggest jump in 50 years in 2015.
