DOT Wants to Block Most Phone Apps In Moving Cars
Nov 23, 2016, 11:07 AM by Eric M. Zeman
The U.S. Department of Transportation wants phone makers to make it harder for drivers to use their smartphones when behind the wheel. The NHTSA today published new guidelines for phone and car makers that it believes will help cut back on instances of distracted driving. Specifically, the government wants phones to more proactively go into driving mode and to pair more seamlessly with cars' in-dash nav systems. Driving mode typically simplifies the user interface so it isn't as hard to use while driving. Driving mode also limits what features are available to the driver. Pairing would automatically connect phones to cars and route info through the in-dash system, which is often safer to use. Drivers would still be able to make calls and use navigation, but not enter text, view any sort of video, browse the internet, or view text/photos from messages. "Both pairing and diver 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," said the government. The initiative has been under way for some time and this step represents phase 2. The NHTSA is seeking comment from the public and industry players before moving forward in implementing the guidelines. The NHTSA says driver distraction is to blame for a 10% surge in traffic deaths over the last year.
Comments
Cortana+headset=safe, hands-free driving
Cortana running on a Windows 10 Mobile phone, paired to a high-quality, noise-cancelling headset, already makes my driving completely hands-free and fully eyes-on-the-road. There are many good Bluetooth headsets, but my preference is the VXI Xpressway 2 because of its very good noise-cancelling ability (when the foam sock is placed on the boom mic).
All incoming texts are read to me, and I can dictate replies easily and quickly without touching the phone or taking my eyes off the road. Same with voice calls. The most intervention required is one quick press of the multifunction button on the side of ...
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Why dont police just have dedicated Phone Driver patrols, like for parking?
The real problem is its so prevalent that police wont pull someone over just to give them a ticket even when they are obviously using their phone instead of driving, its only if they do something Else that the cop will tack on the phone charge additionally.
Meanwhile, as police everywhere are complaining about their budget problems. If they had a squad that did nothing but give people tickets for (not) driving and using their phone, cops would make a ton of money and Some people might actually stop screwing with their p...
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Why stop there?
Or we could just have penalties for distracted driving, some quite serious, if a police officer observes your behavior or if you are involved in an accident. One idea seems to be needlessly costly, overl...
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