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Tech-loaded cars part of distracted driver debate

Agency: Distraction limit would reduce fatalities.

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer 9:14 PM Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Automakers are loading new cars with complex entertainment and navigation systems in a bid to generate more profit and appeal to young consumers who want to extend their connected lifestyles to their vehicles. But federal officials and safety advocates are concerned the systems will increase distracted driving.

More than 5,400 people were killed and an estimated 448,000 were injured in crashes involving driver distraction in 2009, the most recent year for which figures were available, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The agency will hold public hearings next month on proposed federal guidelines to limit the distraction risk for in-vehicle “infotainment” systems.

The systems include entertainment, navigation, communication and climate functions, but are not required to safely operate the vehicle.Systems that allow drivers to access their cellphones hands-free are becoming a “necessity,” said Ericka Pfeifer, a Ford Motor Company spokeswoman. “We are on our cellphones all the time,” she said.

The company’s updated MyFord Touch system is featured at the auto show and allows drivers to access their infotainment functions via traditional buttons, a touchscreen or voice-activated commands, Pfeifer said.

However, some infotainment systems can require the driver to look down at the center console to find a button or joystick-like controller and then “wade through complex on-screen menus to perform even simple functions,” according to a Consumer Reports study.

The NHTSA’s proposed voluntary guidelines include limiting activities that require drivers to take both hands off the wheel or that take more than two seconds to perform.

“This is clearly a work in progress,” said David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. “The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is working with the industry and what they are trying to do is minimize distraction if they can and at the same time provide people with access to these technologies.”

Carmakers are turning to infotainment systems to make automobiles more attractive to young people, said John Heitmann, a University of Dayton history professor who teaches a course called “The Automobile and American Life” and is the author of a book by that name. “The perception is that the love affair that previous generations had with the automobile is not nearly as strong or dynamic as it once was,” Heitmann said. Connected cars represent a “quick technological fix” to the industry’s concerns about the youth market, he said.

Many drivers already are seeking this type of information behind the wheel using their smartphones.

Safety is a priority for automakers, who are trying strike a balance with customer convenience, according to Ford’s Pfeifer. “They don’t want you looking down at a map or reading text messages; they want it all to be audible so you can keep your eyes on the road and minimize that possibility for accidents,” she said.

According to an August 2011 NHTSA study on driver distraction, text-messaging was associated with the highest level of distraction potential. Ten-digit phone dialing was the second most distracting task; radio tuning had the lowest level.

The agency’s proposed guidelines also recommend disabling visual-manual text messaging, Internet browsing and 10-digit phone dialing operations by in-vehicle electronic devices while driving. Electronic-warning system functions such as forward-collision or lane departure alerts would not be subject to the proposed guidelines. No penalties would be imposed on carmakers that fail to comply.

President Obama’s fiscal 2013 budget request includes $330 million over six years for distracted driving programs that increase awareness of the issue and encourage stakeholders to take action.

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