subject: Distracted Driving Laws Create Rift Between Advocacy Groups And Electronics Manufacturers [print this page] As new states adopt distracted driving laws, the battle between advocacy groups and the manufacturers of the newly banned devices is heating up.The fight to curb distracted driving is being led by Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood.Secretary LaHood has called for a nation-wide ban on texting-while-driving.Currently 30 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Guam, have laws in place banning texting-while-driving.The narrow focus on texting, and therefore cell phones, has electronic manufacturers worried that specific industries are being targeted in the war on distracted drivers.
Carmakers and electronic-manufacturers try to walk a fine line as they explain their worries over new state laws banning text messaging.Not wanting to appear to be against laws designed to improve driver safety, these companies are afraid that the new laws could eventually be expanded to cover GPS systems, Bluetooth devices, and in-car voice activation systems.These product categories represent considerable sources of income, especially for carmakers, where these popular, yet fairly-low installation cost, options can run consumers several thousands of dollars.
The fine line these manufacturers are attempting to walk has proved just so, as Secretary LaHood lambasted an electronic industry lobbying group, admitting to being "shocked" that the industry would come out against laws designed to improve driver safety.LaHood was quoted as saying, "I was stunned to read that anybody would organize activities against safe driving."
In response to LaHood's public chastising of the group, the group in question was quoted as saying, "The goal of the proposed coalition concept was to work with all concerned parties and public safety advocates to modernize driver education and promote aggressive enforcement, as this issue is more than just phones in cars. Our collaborative effort simply sought to expand the discussion to include other common forms of driver distraction."
The debate seems to center around confusion over which technologies will come under the texting-ban umbrella.Certain technologies, such as Bluetooth headsets and voice recognition software, while not explicitly developed in response to driver distraction laws, certainly owe much of their proliferation to them.A Southern California Car Accident attorney points out that Bluetooth headsets only became commonplace in L.A. after the law prohibiting non-hands-free cell phone use was passed.
With research and development costs being what they are today, carmakers and electronics manufacturers feel they have a right to know the direction of future bans.The Consumer Electronics Association, which represents over 2000 firms tied to the electronics industry, argues that many new technologies actually make driving safer.Steve Kidera, of the Consumer Electronics Association, stated, "We are certainly for driver safety," but added "we don't feel that all technology should be eliminated from the car."
Jason Oxman, also of the Consumer Electronics Association, perhaps sums up the fight best by saying, "We absolutely and wholeheartedly agree with Secretary LaHood. Distracted driving is wrong, unsafe and unacceptable. But when you're looking at distracted driving, you shouldn't just look to target specific industries or technology."With the current administration offering grants to the remaining 20 states to pass laws banning text messaging, this fight can only intensify in the future.
