Group asks feds to pump brakes on ‘driver mode’ for phones

A technology consumer group is urging the new administration to halt federal guidelines that encourage cellphone and electronic device makers to design products to minimize the potential for driver distraction. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) argues that even though the guidelines are voluntary, they “could have a sweeping effect on the multibillion-dollar market for mobile devices and apps.” In December 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) called for the creation of a “driver mode” for smartphones and other portable devices that drivers can use while operating their vehicle. The goal is to curb road deaths and injuries resulting from smartphone-based distractions, such as texting, phone calls and social media.

But some technology groups ripped the guidelines as a regulatory overreach and pointed out that auto and tech companies have already created driver-assist technologies and apps that help reduce distractions. “CTA shares NHTSA's concerns about the hazards of distracted driving,” the CTA said in a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). “However, we believe that the Phase 2 Guidelines takes the wrong approach to this important issue, both in substance and by impermissibly reaching beyond NHTSA's statutory authority under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act."