New Telematics Guidelines Considered By Auto Industry

Autoparts Report, Feb 23, 2001

U.S. car makers have set guidelines for designing cellular phones, navigation systems and other devices in cars, the Wall Street Journal reported. The guidelines, drafted by the trade group Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), are to avoid government regulation, the paper said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a report last summer urging drivers not to use cellular phones while driving, as the practice was found to be a safety hazard, the paper said. The Journal said the NHTSA would not comment on the guidelines until the new Bush administration could look them over.

The agency has said it could regulate cellular phones if these were built into dashboards, the paper said. "What we're trying to do is make sure that as new technology comes into vehicles, it's as safe as possible," the paper quoted Glora Bergquist, a spokeswoman for AAM, as saying. General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG are all members of AAM, the paper said.