U.S. Department of Transportation officials are considering software solutions that would prevent cell phones from working in moving vehicles, Secretary of Transportation Raymond LaHood said at a talk this month, according to Discovery News.
The comment followed the launch of the department’s “Faces of Distracted Driving” campaign, designed to call attention to the nearly 5,500 people who died — and 500,000-plus who were injured — in 2009 accidents related to what’s being called “distracted driving.”
While several states have outlawed texting while driving, and others prohibit holding a phone while driving, these little-enforced laws haven’t been enough to persuade drivers to put away their phones and keep their eyes on the road. According to LaHood, additional measures are necessary.
“I think the technology is there, and I think you’re going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones,” LaHood said, according to Discovery News.
For more, read the eWeek article: Texting Deaths Drive U.S. to Consider Disabling Phones in Cars.