Engineering Controls for Distracted Driving

by, Robert Box

Distracted driving remains a top concern among motorists these days.  A government agency is now working with electronic device developers to design products that reduce the potential for driver distraction.

There are many forms of being distracted while driving including eating, putting on makeup, shaving, reading books or newspapers (if you can believe that), brushing teeth, changing clothes and talking to other passengers.  Probably the most popular form of distracted driving involves the use of smart phones while driving.  See our recent article “Video: Driving with Feet Enables Two-Handed Texting”.

Information campaigns and awareness initiatives about distracted driving may have mild had positive effects, but texting while driving remains at epidemic levels.  According to textinganddriving.com, 1 in 5 drivers of all ages confess to surfing the web while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has stepped in with new guidelines for designers and manufacturers of smartphones and mobile devices to hopefully make it increasingly more difficult to be distracted by the devices while driving.

The NHTSA wants smartphone designers to develop products that automatically disable smartphones and mobile devises as sources of distraction while driving.  The most prominent idea is a feature called “Driver Mode” in which the device would detect whether the user is a driver or a passenger.  If the user is driving, the device would automatically switch to Drive Mode and limit functionality like manually texting, playing videos, scrolling and displaying books.

“NHTSA has long encouraged drivers to put down their phones and other devices, and just drive,” said NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind. “With driver distraction one of the factors behind the rise of traffic fatalities, we are committed to working with the industry to ensure that mobile devices are designed to keep drivers’ eyes where they belong — on the road.”

The agency is seeking public comments on its proposed guidelines.  Meanwhile, the NHTSA continues to urge the driving public to take the following safety precautions to minimize distraction while driving:

• Be a safe, distraction-free driver, put your cell phone down and focus on the road
• When using electronic devices for directions, set the destination prior to driving
• Speak up when you’re a passenger and your driver uses an electronic device while driving. Offer to call or text for the driver, so his or her full attention stays on the driving task
• Always wear your seat belt. Seat belts are the best defense against other unsafe drivers.

Safety First Consulting is a contributor of SM Corridor News and helps businesses identify OSHA compliance issues in their workplaces, manage their safety programs, and we become accountable for the results. In addition to offering custom written safety programs for companies, Safety First Consulting provides required safety training, industrial hygiene sampling, noise sampling, and workplace inspections. You can read more from Robert Box under Business.