The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which regroups 11 manufacturers such as Ford, GM, Chrysler and Toyota, expressed its concern over the growing number of drivers using their cell phone in their car.

The group announced it would be in favor of banning text messaging or using a hand-held device while driving a vehicle, saying such tasks hinder a driver’s attention behind the wheel and make the roads more dangerous.

“Clearly, using a hand-held device to text or call while driving is a safety risk,” said, in a statement, Alliance President and CEO Dave McCurdy. “That makes it incompatible with maintaining the focus necessary to safely drive a vehicle, and the Alliance supports a ban on hand-held texting and calling while driving to accelerate the transition to more advanced, safer ways to manage many common potential distractions.

“Alliance member companies have long recognized the risks of distracted driving. That’s why automakers voluntarily developed and implemented guidelines for integrated advanced information and communications systems,” added McCurdy.

Some manufacturers have already developed tools to reduce the risk of distracted driving.  For example, Ford launched last fall its factory-installed, hands-free device called Ford Sync, allowing drivers to answer their phone without searching for it.

Source: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

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