The focus of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) is to set minimum safety performance requirements for motor vehicle equipment. They protect drivers against unreasonable risk of crashes due to the design, construction, and performance of a vehicle and they set minimum standards for protection in the event of an accident. But when it comes to the design of electronic systems, automobile manufacturers have historically been on their own.

Back when electronic systems were relatively simple automakers followed voluntary guidelines which called for displays to be high enough that drivers can scan the road while viewing displays, and that interfaces be simple enough so drivers don’t take their attention away from the road. But, today’s automobile interfaces have become considerably more complicated and even though car makers tell drivers to pay attention to the roads, they continue to pack their vehicles with infotainment systems that encourage multitasking. Today’s high tech features allow the driver to entertain and navigate as well as stay connected through their phones, e-mail and social media. According to automobile industry officials, “You can’t stop drivers from multitasking and becoming distracted. By giving motorists built-in connections that are simpler and less distracting than portable devices, we are making the roads safer.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood disagrees. He calls distracted driving “a deadly epidemic,” and feels federal authorities should set some safety standards. And they are. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is developing its own set of guidelines, to be released this fall. They will address visual and manual distractions and hope to eventually set guidelines for voice controls and portable devices.