Skip to main content

Global Automakers testifies at NHTSA public hearing on distracted driving

The Association of Global Automakers, which represents international motor vehicle manufacturers, original equipment suppliers, and other automotive-related trade associations, has testified about the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) proposed voluntary driver distraction guidelines stressing the importance of an objective, performance-based, and technology neutral approach.
March 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The 4074 Association of Global Automakers, which represents international motor vehicle manufacturers, original equipment suppliers, and other automotive-related trade associations, has testified about the US 2467 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) proposed voluntary driver distraction guidelines stressing the importance of an objective, performance-based, and technology neutral approach.

“We agree with the agency’s goal of reducing the potential for driver distraction by providing uniform, modern guidelines for evaluating driver assistance and convenience features demanded by today’s consumers,” said Michael Cammisa, Global Automakers’ director of safety. “We need to make sure we get this right, it’s important to recognise that overly restrictive limits on in-vehicle devices could result in greater distraction as drivers substitute hand-held devices for those functions integrated into the vehicle, diminishing the effectiveness of the guidelines.”

Global Automakers says it supports state legislation for primary enforcement bans on the use of hand-held devices for texting and phone calls while driving.

“Our member companies are taking a comprehensive approach to automotive safety addressing both protection and prevention,” said Cammisa. “When designing in-vehicle features and their controls, automakers take into consideration usability, comprehension, and safety, all in the context of the driving environment.”

The Association says it looks forward to on-going collaboration with policymakers and other stakeholders to identify and evaluate potential ways to prevent or mitigate driver distraction.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Road safety improvement for the US
    December 11, 2012
    The US is seeing improvements in road safety overall, with a drop in road crash statistics for 2011. The data for 2011 is encouraging and the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a new analysis indicating that highway deaths fell to 32,367 in 2011. This marked the lowest level of road related fatalities since 1949, 1.9% decrease from the previous year. Furthermore, this updated 2011 data show the historic downward trend in recent years continu
  • IRF World Congress: Safety through sustainability
    October 17, 2024
    Be sustainable, but above all be safe, was the theme of the first day of the three-day IRF World Congress in Istanbul, Turkiye. David Arminas reports.
  • Young distracted drivers causing crashes
    March 26, 2015
    The US-based AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has carried out research revealing shocking figures on young driver distraction. According to video analysis, 58% of moderate-severe crashes involving teenaged drivers in the US include distraction as a causal factor. This figure is around four times than was previously thought based on police reports.
  • Driver distraction is a road safety risk
    September 12, 2019
    Driver distraction is an increasing concern for the road safety sector. According to the FIA Region 2 (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile), a distraction time of just two seconds is sufficient to cause a crash. The FIA’s data suggests that to 25% of road crashes are due to distraction, with 25-30% of total driving time spent on distracting activities. Commissioner Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport, recently warned against distraction caused by the use of mobile phone. She said, “Distraction