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US safety experts are calling for a 'Driver Mode' for mobile phones, similar to the 'Aeroplane Mode' already common for slight passengers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the mode would allow music to be streamed and for a phone's navigation system to be used, but it would block the usage of some apps and, in particular, text messages.
"As millions of Americans take to the roads for Thanksgiving gatherings, far too many are put at risk by drivers who are distracted by their cellphones," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx."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."
For now, the NHTSA can only advise and promote such systems, but cannot yet legally demand that they must be used. The two major makers of software for smartphones, Apple and Google, already incorporate some of these concepts into their phones. Apple CarPlay, for instance, allows the driver to access music and navigation, but restricts texting and making phone calls to voice control, theoretically meaning that drivers can use their phones with minimal distraction. Google's Android Auto has similar safeguards, but both can be circumvented by the driver simply picking up the phone in question and interacting directly with it.
"NHTSA has long encouraged drivers to put down their phones and other devices, and just drive," said NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind. "With driver distraction one of the factors behind the rise of traffic fatalities, we are committed to working with the industry to ensure that mobile devices are designed to keep drivers' eyes where they belong - on the road." The NHTSA's proposed 'Driver Mode' would see apps that allow access to email, Twitter, Facebook and other messaging inhibited, while the phone's keyboard would be disabled, denying drivers the chance to text and drive.
The problem is, of course, that such systems would for now only be switched on if the driver chooses to do so. The NHTSA is currently inviting public submissions on the issue, and is working its way towards proposals for legislation, including tough fines and punishments for drivers found with a phone not in Driver Mode.
According to the Irish Road Safety Authority, distracted driving is a contributory factor in as many as 1,400 fatal or injurious collisions annually, and mobile phones are among the primary causes of distraction. In a statement, the RSA said that "the biggest distraction for drivers is the mobile. Despite the fact that using them when driving is killing people on Irish roads, rational, intelligent people continue to text, make phone calls, take selfies or update their social pages while driving.
Making a call will make you four times more likely to crash. When texting it's a staggering twenty-three times more likely."