Distracted-driving push next week

Reps. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) and Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) are welcoming companies to Capitol Hill next week that say distracted-driving bills must be broad enough to make room for advances in communications devices.

Heading to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, the companies, including Ford and Nuance, will make this point: If distracted-driving regulations are too onerous, technologies that could help reduce crashes may be banned from cars.

{mosads}Some companies say lawmakers have been receptive to that message. “There is no reason for any life to be lost due to distracted driving. We are a smart nation and the technology is available — we just need to put it to work to save lives,” McCarthy, who has introduced a distracted-driving bill, told The Hill.

Along with state-level legislation pushed by the Transportation Department, there are two different legislative approaches taking shape this session, each with bills in both chambers.

Legislation from McCarthy and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) aims to spur state-level action, instructing the Transportation Department to withhold a quarter of transport funds to states that do not pass laws banning text-messaging in cars. The bill excludes vehicle-integrated, voice-activated technology from the tech ban.

Legislation from Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) would send money toward raising drivers’ awareness, fund research into the problem and compel the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to submit a report to Congress on the issue. The bill passed the Commerce Committee in July and has companion legislation from Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.).

The priority for technology companies is making sure the bills stay wide enough to prevent their products from getting kicked out of cars. Technologies such as voice-recognition software that allows drivers to
make a call with their hand on the wheel can make driving safer,
according to advocates for these companies.

Richard Mack, the vice president for corporate communications at Nuance, said in an interview that he does not think there is an appetite in Congress for overzealous legislation, and praised the current bills for narrow tailoring that would allow voice-recognition technology to stay in cars. Nuance makes speech applications such as voice-activation programs for the iPhone 3GS.

“Distractions have been around since the dawn of the car radio, and we’re offering ways to mitigate some of the risk,” he said. Even texting can become safer with advanced technologies, he added, noting technology will allow drivers to write and send text messages by simply saying the words.

Distracted-driving regulation has been a priority for the administration. President Obama issued an executive order prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has made the effort central to his agenda.