“Why is it so important for kids to drive around and update their Facebook statuses?” Rockefeller asked during a forum that he arranged to focus on the issue, as quoted by Bloomberg. “For teenagers, it’s a way of being cool. For those of you who sell cars, it’s a way of you being cool and making a lot of money from that.”
Although automakers and tech companies have been moving many phone features onto integrated vehicle displays to reduce distractions, the 76-year-old senator believes the approach is still unsafe.
“The connectivity you’re worried about for social media is the very same that enables us to save thousands of lives every year,” quipped General Motors VP of sustainability and regulatory affairs, Michael Robinson.
Apple’s director of federal government affairs, Timothy Powderly, noted Apple’s plans to bring many iPhone features onto the vehicle display through “iOS for Cars.” The platform will provide driver-optimized versions of Maps, iTunes and other iPhone features, taking advantage of the company’s Siri voice-recognition technology to reduce the need for physical interaction.
“If we don’t affirmatively make safe ways for people to use whatever it is they’re using, people will find ways to get around the systems,” added Samsung VP of communications policy and regulatory affairs, John Godfrey.
Rockefeller was strong in his opinion that the companies are responsible for deaths and serious injuries “all for the sake of outdoing each other and making more money,” however he did not fully outline provisions that would be included in his legislation to remedy the problem.
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