Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:05 pm
Big automakers said they supported a ban on text messaging and using handheld devices while driving, a safety issue that the government will examine in a conference next week.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents all domestic and several overseas carmakers, said that writing or reading text messages while driving affects a driver's ability to operate a car safely and represents a safety risk.
"Clearly, using a hand-held device to text or call while driving is a safety risk," said Dave McCurdy, the group's president. "The use of handheld devices has increased dramatically and I think there is a temptation to lose focus and take your eyes off the road."
It represents 11 automakers, including General Motors Ford, Toyota and others.
Over a dozen states have passed laws banning text messaging while driving.
In July, a group of senators pushed a bill requiring states to ban text messaging by drivers or risk losing 25 percent of their annual federal highway money.
The U.S. Transportation Department will host a two-day summit next week to review problems with distracted driving.
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