US DOT proposes guidelines to address driver distraction

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released proposed guidelines today to help address driver distraction caused by mobile and other electronic devices in vehicles. The announcement covers the second phase of voluntary guidelines to address driver distraction on US. roads. The first phase focused on devices or systems built into the vehicle at the time of manufacture. The proposed, voluntary guidelines are designed to encourage portable and after
November 25, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released proposed guidelines today to help address driver distraction caused by mobile and other electronic devices in vehicles. The announcement covers the second phase of voluntary guidelines to address driver distraction on US. roads. The first phase focused on devices or systems built into the vehicle at the time of manufacture.

The proposed, voluntary 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.

The guidelines encourage manufacturers to implement features such as pairing, where a portable device is linked to a vehicle’s infotainment system, as well as Driver Mode, which is a simplified user interface. Both pairing and Driver Mode will reduce the potential for unsafe driver distraction by limiting the time a driver’s eyes are off the road, while at the same time preserving the full functionality of these devices when they are used at other times.
Location Based Systems Networking & Communication Systems Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Road safety charity calls for ban on hands-free phones in vehicles
    June 8, 2016
    Following new research from psychologists at the University of Sussex, road safety charity Brake has renewed its calls for the UK government to look again at the laws around driving and mobile phone use. The study, published in the Transportation Research Journal, shows that drivers who are engaged in conversations that spark their visual imagination are much less able to spot and react to potential hazards. When the drivers involved in the study were asked about a subject that required them to visualis
    Read More
  • Agencies team up on pedestrian and cyclist safety
    October 17, 2014
    The City of Philadelphia has kicked off its new pedestrian safety education and enforcement strategy aimed at reducing deaths and injuries, supported by a US$525,000 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grant initiative to help address a three year trend of increased pedestrian fatalities. Philadelphia will use the funds to address pedestrian safety in downtown areas by increasing police visibility and ticketing during high risk hours in 20 high-crash locations. The grant will also be u
    Read More
  • US budget proposals seek recognise ITS benefits
    April 30, 2015
    President Obama’s latest budget brings some good news for the transportation and ITS sectors. President Obama’s proposed 2016 budget could see more progress on many of America’s ingrained transportation problems than has been achieved in some time and includes a six-year $478 billion surface transportation reauthorisation. That is, of course, provided it clears all of the administrative hurdles to become law.
    Read More
  • InfoConnect delivers accurate travel information on all levels
    August 1, 2012
    Deryk Whyte provides an overview of how the New Zealand Transport Agency's InfoConnect concept was developed. Historically, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) (formerly Transit New Zealand) has faced challenges in communicating effectively with road users, its customers, about highway-related events or incidents in a timely, accurate manner. Prior to 2007, Transit relied on a third-party organisation to collect and disseminate national road condition information. This often resulted in incomplete infor
    Read More

Highlighted Content