Ford, Verizon Support Distracted-Driver Law — And Its Loophole

Yesterday, Ford became the first automaker to endorse a bill, introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), to ban distracted driving. When a similar bill was introduced in the last session, Ford was the first to endorse it then, too.

McCarthy’s bill requires USDOT to set minimum standards for state bans on “the use of hand-held mobile devices on a public road while operating a moving or idling motor vehicle, except in the case of an emergency.” If a state violates USDOT’s minimum standards, that state would lose 25 percent of its federal highway transportation funding. The bill also directs the agency to conduct a study on distracted driving, particularly among young drivers. However, the bill includes a big loophole: It provides an exception for voice-operated, vehicle-integrated devices.

In a press release, Ford Vice President Pete Lawson said, “Ford believes hands-free, voice-activated technology significantly reduces that risk by allowing drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

The USDOT-supported distracted driving prevention group, Focus Driven, says hands-free devices don’t do the trick. “Studies show hands-free devices provide no safety benefit,” they say. “It’s the conversation, not the device, that creates the danger.”

That doesn’t stop automakers from touting their safety records when they introduce hands-free technology. Two years ago, the Alliance of Automobile Manufaturers, which represents 11 major automakers, endorsed a ban on the use of handheld devices while driving – but at the same time, it congratulated Ford for launching “its factory-installed, hands-free device called Ford Sync, allowing drivers to answer their phone without searching for it.”