Ford Endorses Ban on Texting While Driving

The Senate version of the bill would work similarly to the national drunk-driving standards where states lose 25% of their federal highway funds if they don’t comply with the government’s rule.

Ford, however, has a large stake in the issue because of its hands-free Sync system. The automaker wants to convince lawmakers that texting is the problem, not hands-free devices that allow drivers to hold phone conversations on the road — despite the growing evidence that hands-free phones are as distracting as their hand-held counterparts.

Still, a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study found texting while driving blows cell phone use out of the water in terms of danger. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the risk of a crash while talking on the phone and driving is four times greater than normal. The VTTI study found that drivers risk of a crash was 23 times greater as soon as they began texting compared to normal driving behavior. This means that Congress’s focus will likely be on text messaging.

Ford has also said that a complete ban on in-vehicle communications would dissuade automakers from devising solutions to keep people focused on the road. While the texting-ban seems like a no-brainer that will likely sail through congress (a rarity, no doubt), a fight could come if legislators propose removing all forms of communication.

Ford Endorses Bill to Ban Hand-Held Text Messaging While Driving (Detroit News)