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NHTSA seeks feedback on distracted driving guidelines

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking input on its Driver Distraction Guidelines.

The nonbinding voluntary guidelines, available here, recommend that in-vehicle devices that perform secondary tasks (for communication, entertainment, information gathering, or navigation) should be designed so they cannot be used while a driver is driving.

The NHTSA held its first hearing on the matter on Monday, and subsequent hearings are being held today in Chicago and tomorrow in Los Angeles, from 9 a.m. to noon local time. Today’s hearing is being held at the James R. Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph Street, Chicago, in Room 16-503. Tomorrow’s hearing will be held at the West Los Angeles Field Office Federal Building, 11000 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, in the Ron Williams Memorial Conference Room – C-206. Requests to testify had to be in 10 days in advance.

Written comments to docket No. 77 FR 11200 will be accepted through April 24. Those comments may be made online at www.regulations.gov, by following the instructions for submitting comments. The comments can also be mailed to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001, or they can be hand- or courier-delivered to that address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday, expect on federal holidays. Comments can also be faxed to 202/493-2251.

For full details on the hearings and commenting on the guidelines, click here.

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One Comment

  1. There are already plenty of laws that cover it plus the simple fact is that if you cause an accident for any reason, you are liable.

    Failure to maintain control, unsafe safe lane change, failure to stop and on and on.

    Education, lots of education, I’m all for it. More laws….hell no!

    Besides, how is someone using their phone or navigation system any more distracted than a parent reaching over the seat to deal with the screaming child in the back? Or how about a couple arguing with each other…distracted? I think so! Or the person eating, drinking or putting makeup on? Or eading the paper propped up on the sterring wheel?

    We do not need any more laws regarding this!

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