US Transportation Department issues guidelines for in-car systems to reduce distractions for drivers

The U.S. Transportation Department on Wednesday issued voluntary guidelines for makers of mobile devices, asking them to help keep eyes on the road by developing a “driver mode” that would disable some distracting functions in moving cars. “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," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a press statement. Phone calls, text messages, navigation systems and other features on cell phones can be dangerous distractions for drivers and the Transportation Department and NHTSA want to limit their functionality when the devices are in what is termed “driver mode.” The Transportation Department also called for ease in pairing, which connects smartphones and cars to allow drivers to use voice control on the devices. An auto manufacturers trade group earlier this month urged President-elect Donald Trump to establish a presidential advisory committee to “coordinate auto sector regulators.” The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers also called on Trump to conduct a “comprehensive regulatory review” of all regulations and actions since Sept. 1, including the Obama administration’s new guidance on self-driving vehicles.