Industry Warned to Curb Driver Distractions

The auto industry faces strong regulations on in-vehicle distractions unless carmakers and suppliers do a better job of policing themselves, says U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), who chairs the Senate's Commerce Committee.

Rockefeller declares himself "very unhappy" with the industry, according to Bloomberg News. It says Rockefeller scolded representatives from Apple, AT&T, General Motors, Google, Samsung and Toyota to move faster in setting effective distraction rules for in-vehicle infotainment and connectivity features.

Rockefeller accuses carmakers of trying to one-up each other with connectivity features that may contribute to highway deaths and "close-to-death" injuries. "Why," he asks the industry, "is it so important for kids to drive around and update their Facebook statuses?"

Bloomberg notes that carmakers have been promoting voice-activated controls as one way to safely operate phones and other in-car features. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers tells the news service that consumers demand connectivity everywhere, and the industry feels it must find a way to accommodate that expectation.