Distracted Drivers Targeted In Proposed Federal Guidelines

If U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has his way, texting, browsing the internet, and making phone calls will be impossible while driving a vehicle.

On Thursday, LaHood announced the new proposed federal guidelines for automakers.

LaHood wants automakers to fit cars with the technology that will disable phones and a list of other electronic devices while the wheels are in motion, but some critics said that’s an extreme stretch because cars these days are not what they used to be.

The 2012 Porsche Panamera is one of several luxury cars at Desert European Motorcars Limited in Rancho Mirage. When planning a trip in the Panamera, a driver can just hook a smart phone up to the system and let it sync via Bluetooth technology.

“If I want to plot a course in navigation, I can do this while I’m driving,” said Wayne Bernstein, a Porsche brand ambassador.

The controls are all on the steering wheel, and aside from the dashboard monitor, there’s a secondary screen near the speedometer, which allows the driver to scroll through GPS equipment, music libraries and an address book without looking away from the road.

“I don’t have to reach over to the stereo knobs or buttons if I don’t want to,” said Bernstein. “Again, keeping your hand here would be the safer thing to do.”

Talking on the phone is also a simple. By following a few scrolls from the wheel, the driver can press “call” and dial anyone hands-free.

Texting is one of the few tasks that can’t be done hands-free, but regardless, texting while driving in the state of California is illegal.

Drivers using handheld devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure, according to Monash University.

If drivers use the devices hands-free, they are more likely return from their trip safely. But despite measures automakers are already taking, the rules may soon shift up another gear.

The new federal guidelines are still subject to a 60-day public comments period.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is holding hearings on the issue next month.