Dashboard standards loom

As manufacturers race to put in touchscreen devices that let consumers access directions, radio, and even email and Twitter feeds, the federal government wants to limit the mounting distractions.

As of last fall, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was developing voluntary guidelines for manufacturers that are designed to keep driver distraction at a minimum. NHTSA  says the first phase will focus on devices that are built into the vehicle and will provide criteria to keep drivers’ attention on the road instead of on a touchscreen.

A second phase is expected to tackle electronic devices that aren’t built into a vehicle, such as a smartphone or a personal media player, and a third phase is expected to cover voice-activated controls. Final guidelines could be ready this year.

Because of the array of devices that already are in vehicles, some argue that it might be difficult to remove them. John Canali of Strategy Analytics, which is a global research firm, says the number of new vehicles that have touchscreen technology is forecast to increase to about 40 percent of vehicles in 2015 from 25 percent in 2011. But he says manufacturers already limit what goes into their vehicles.

“The technology is there for an Internet browser on the touchscreens,” he says of an option that automakers haven't added to vehicles. “They kind of know it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.”

Todd Day, who is an industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan, says he expects manufacturers to increase voice-recognition controls and smartphone syncing, regardless of any federal regulation. He says vehicles also likely will limit what systems a driver may access while the vehicle is in motion.