Skip to main content

Driver distraction poses safety challenge

The risk of driver distraction is growing with the growth in information and communication technologies (ICT). Car manufacturers are under pressure to offer the latest technologies to maintain product strength. But at the same time firms also have to keep process of human interaction with the car simple, to reduce driver distraction.
June 18, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The risk of driver distraction is growing with the growth in information and communication technologies (ICT). Car manufacturers are under pressure to offer the latest technologies to maintain product strength. But at the same time firms also have to keep process of human interaction with the car simple, to reduce driver distraction.

Research by The US 2467 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has shown that 17% (an estimated 899,000) of all police-reported accidents in 2010 reportedly involved some type of driver distraction. Of those 899,000 crashes, distraction by a device/control integral in the vehicle was reported in 26,000 cases (3% of the distraction-related police-reported accidents). Reacting on these results, the NHTSA has formulated voluntary guidelines for driver distraction, which will be rolled out in three phases based on device origin and interaction type.

The NHTSA's approach toward driver distraction will help manufacturers with the coming information systems, according to Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst, Krishna Jayaraman. He added that NHTSA plans to implement the feedback from the public and hold public hearings before finalising the first phase of recommendations. This will open up opportunities for OEMs and suppliers to convey their message and help set guidelines that will benefit them as well as the consumers. As smartphones are one of the major sources of driver distraction, the US 4180 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in December 2011 proposed a nationwide ban on the use of personal electronic devices while driving, as the risk of an accident is four times higher when using a phone while driving a car, various studies revealed.

The regulation applies in 50 states and bans the use of hands-free systems, including wireless headsets. This could act against those firms offering phone integration and hands-free systems as a part of their portfolio.

Related Content

  • While driving risk for young
    December 15, 2015
    New research from the US shows that texting while driving has become a major cause of deaths and injuries amongst youngsters in the US. Using smartphones for texting or accessing the internet while at the wheel is the biggest single cause of death for teenagers in the US according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The report says that in spite of 45 US states having banned drivers from sending texts or emails while at the wheel, up to 660,000/hour are using smartphones
  • Europe’s road safety challenge for the future
    March 2, 2022
    Europe’s road safety challenge is to reduce casualties for the future.
  • New system to detect phone use
    May 9, 2016
    A new system dubbed the Textalyser could reveal if drivers in the US state of New York were using a phone at time of a collision. The device has been developed to allow police to analyse whether drivers were using a mobile phone at the time of a crash. The device checks the metadata on a phone to see if it was used recently. This method ensures that messages, contacts, photos, and so on are kept private. New York City is proposing that police use these devices to catch drivers who are distracted by thei
  • The risk of drugged driving on Europe’s roads
    May 1, 2018
    Drivers under the influence of drugs present a major hazard to road safety, according to a new report by the pan-European police agency TISPOL The risk from driving under the influence of psycho-active drugs results in road fatalities and injuries from crashes right across Europe, according to the report. The problem relates to both legal prescription medication as well as illegal drugs, notes TISPOL – European Traffic Police Network – which was established by the traffic police forces of Europe to impro