Ford, Chrysler CEO's To Talk Distracted Driving
DEARBORN/AUBURN HILLS (WWJ) U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is taking his campaign against distracted driving to the top, meeting with the CEO's of Chrysler and Ford.
The Tuesday meetings are private, and the Transportation Department has said it will release no details of them, but LaHood has gone on record as being critical of systems like Ford's Sync and GM's Onstar as being potential distractions behind the wheel.
The Transportation Secretary met in Washington recently with GM CEO Dan Akerson. The two reportedly discussed driver distraction, among other issues.
LaHood has gone on record as saying that he believes that even hands free devices are a distraction behind the wheel. That's something that many in the auto industry take exception to.
"Our goal is to have people's eyes on the road," said Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. "We feel that the technology we've put into our vehicles is enabling that."
Ford is facing criticism from other fronts, as Consumer Reports say the company's updated "My Ford Touch" system is too complicated, and could serve as a distraction. The system, which will be expanded to a lot of vehicles, puts a lot of controls onto a touch screen, and allows drivers to use voice commands.
Bill Ford says consumers who have the system—which debuted on the new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX—generally like it. But, he admits, there is a learning curve.
"It does take a little while, when you first get in a vehicle, and have never been exposed to it, you need to sit with it for a few minutes to get comfortable with it."
Ford is offering advanced customer training with the system, allowing buyers to return to a dealership for an extra lesson in how to use the system.
The Transportation Secretary's fight against distracted driving has been criticized by safety advocates, including the former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Among the criticisms is that there are better areas for LaHood to concentrate on, that would do more to improve safety on the roads.
With government estimates that 5,500 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in 2009, LaHood said he would not be deterred by "false choices" between fighting distracted driving and addressing other safety issues.
