Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued guidelines for smartphone manufacturers that urge them to limit drivers’ ability to access apps and other smartphone functions when they’re behind the wheel. While these new guidelines are only recommendations at this point, they could be an indication that formal legislation intended to reduce distracted driving may be drafted in the future.
The NHTSA’s guidelines aren’t meant to prevent motorists from using their smartphones while they’re on the road. Instead, the recommendations are meant to limit your access to nonessential functions such as texting, web surfing, and online games once your phone is paired with your automobile.
In our role as a Downey, CA Dodge dealer, we teach people how to use the features in the cars we have for sale or lease every day. While we know these features enhance your experience as a car owner, we also know that you don’t need to use all of them while you’re driving… and so does the NHTSA. That’s why the NHTSA recommends that mobile phone makers develop a driver mode that would limit your access to unnecessary functions while still letting you use basic functions such as navigation, voicemail, and music.
“NHTSA has long encouraged drivers to put down their phones and other devices, and just drive,” said NHTSA Administrator 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.”
If you want to learn how you can use the features your car has safely while you’re behind the wheel, visit our Dodge dealership on Firestone Boulevard. As it is for all of the brands we represent, the safety of you and your passengers is our top concern. Visit Champion Chrysler Jeep® Dodge RAM today for tips that can keep you and your passengers safe on the road.
