Posted June 12, 2011
The U.S. transportation secretary says he wants more facts about distracted driving before discussing whether the government should regulate communications technology built directly into cars.
Secretary Ray LaHood says America faces an “epidemic” of people sending emails and making phone calls while driving. In a speech in Springfield, Ill., on Thursday night, he applauded car companies that are beginning to discourage the practice.
But LaHood wouldn’t say whether the government should regulate the trend toward building information technology directly into cars. He said that question should wait until the results of a study on distracted driving are available later this year.
Earlier in the day, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spoke out against adding distractions by turning cars into mobile communications devices.