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"US transport safety officials have put forward plans to limit the amount of technology that is incorporated into vehicles in order to ensure drivers don&amp;#039;t become distracted.  Many car manufacturers are now looking to technology as a way to differentiate their vehicles, including Ford planning to announce its new B-Max car at the Mobile World Congress event next week due to its gadget features.  But US data suggested that &amp;quot;distraction by a device or control integral to the vehicle&amp;quot; was the cause of 26,000 crashes in 2010. American regulators said this week that the new voluntary rules apply to &amp;quot;communications, entertainment, information gathering and navigation devices or functions that are not required to safely operate the vehicle&amp;quot;. Issued by the Department&amp;#039;s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) body, the guidelines cover a reduction in the number of inputs required to operate a device, along with any unnecessary visual information on in-car gadgets.  There are also new rules requiring one-handed operation of tech, and a two-second limit on &amp;quot;off-road glances&amp;quot;, intended to ensure drivers stay focused on the road.  The NHTSA also wants any built-in gadgets to switch off non-essential functions when the car is moving, and keep them disabled until the car is parked. This would particularly cover manual texting, internet or social media and sat-navs that require long addresses to be inputted. &amp;quot;Distracted driving is a dangerous and deadly habit on America&amp;#039;s roadways - that&amp;#039;s why I&amp;#039;ve made it a priority to encourage people to stay focused behind the wheel,&amp;quot; said US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. &amp;quot;These guidelines are a major step forward in identifying real solutions to tackle the issue of distracted driving for drivers of all ages.&amp;quot; The NHTSA also said that in later phases it might issue further guidelines on the use of &amp;quot;devices or systems that are not built into the vehicle but are brought into the vehicle and used while driving&amp;quot;. This may include &amp;quot;navigation systems, smartphones, electronic tablets and pads, and other mobile communications devices&amp;quot;. Official figures suggest that electronic devices were behind 47,000 distraction-related crashes in 2010.  NHTSA administrator David Strickland recognised that car makers wanted to introduce more &amp;quot;convenience&amp;quot; gadgets for consumers, but said that these must not put their safety at risk. &amp;quot;We recognise that vehicle manufacturers want to build vehicles that include the tools and conveniences expected by today&amp;#039;s American drivers,&amp;quot; said Strickland. &amp;quot;The guidelines we&amp;#039;re proposing would offer real-world guidance to automakers to help them develop electronic devices that provide features consumers want - without disrupting a driver&amp;#039;s attention or sacrificing safety.&amp;quot; There has been no indication whether the UK government will follow suit in introducing more stringent guidelines for in-car technology and gadgets.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/internet/news/a366469/us-regulators-to-limit-distracting-in-car-technology/>