NHTSA Chief Discusses Distracted Driving

Autoweek reported: "David Strickland has been championing safer, distraction-free driving since the beginning of his tenure at NHTSA in January 2010. Strickland has been working tirelessly toward this goal alongside stakeholders such as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, private-sector executives, automobile manufacturers and safety advocacy groups."  More research is needed before moving forward with federal guidelines, he said.  "For us, guidelines are a stepping-off point," said Strickland. "[Auto manufacturers] have a strong obligation to do research and find that some applications are OK in the car--such as navigation, streaming Internet radio--what's suitable for a driver while they're operating a vehicle. I recognize everyone wants to be connected on the go, but if you're creating a business model in the market and it doesn't have its roots in safety, then that business model will ultimately fail."  Read more.