The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a transportation bill designed to reduce the growing menace of distracted driving.
The proposed regulation would place restrictions on built-in navigation systems as well as applications on smartphones. If enacted, the transportation bill would grant NHTSA authority to regulate and restrict these navigation aids.
While current laws ban the use of cell phones and texting while driving in most of the country, the law is not clear regarding smartphone apps like Google Maps, Apple’s Maps or Google Waze. Google Waze is an application that uses subscribers to report traffic problems and alert others to the presence of police “speed traps.”
Not surprisingly, manufacturers of built-in navigation systems favor the proposal, while companies that market applications for smartphones oppose it.
In 2013, after negotiating with automakers, the NHTSA released voluntary guidelines restricting navigation system single interactions to not more than two seconds. The auto industry has adhered to that stipulation, however, the New York Times noted that a vehicle traveling at a speed of 60 miles per hour will cover 176 feet in two seconds.
The personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Clark, Perdue & List are experienced in handling cases involving distracted driving. If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident and you believe that the driver responsible for the accident was distracted, contact Clark, Perdue & List.