Driver distraction is an important issue, with considerable debate over the proper solution.  On Tuesday, September 8, a new bill was introduced in congress that attempts to address the problem with a nationwide answer.

“Ford believes hands-free, voice-activated technology substantially reduces that risk by allowing drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road,” said Sue Cischke, Group Vice President for Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Ford supports a ban on hand-held text messaging while driving – and we endorse the legislation introduced by Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) that would encourage a more rapid transition to hands-free and voice-activated technologies.”

The bill, H.R. 3535,  is officially called The Avoiding Life-Endangering and Reckless Texting by Drivers (ALERT Drivers) Act of 2009. It will required states to enact legislation that prohibits drivers from writing, sending and reading an instant message or email while driving. You can learn more about the bill as well as track, comment and share it at OpenCongress.com by clicking here.

“At Ford, we think driver distraction is a critically important issue,” said Sischke. “Drivers experience many different types of distractions on a daily basis. Drivers are going to have conversations, read maps and directions, and listen to music while they drive. The most complete and most recent research shows that activity that draws drivers’ eyes away from the road for an extended period while driving, such as text messaging, substantially increases the risk of accidents.”

One of the technologies that is available on some Ford models to help avoid distracted driving is the SYNC^TM system. Please see the fact sheet below to learn more about the features of SYNC.

SYNC Overview

This video demonstrates some of the things you can do with the Ford SYNC system.