The head of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has told telematics professionals that safety, not tweets or Facebook updates, is his first priority.
“I’m just putting everyone on notice,” NHTSA administrator David Strickland told attendees at a telematics conference in Detroit. “A car is not a mobile device…I’m not in the business of helping people post on Facebook better.”
Telematics, in part, is the application of communications technology to motor vehicles. A number of high-tech companies, such as Google and Facebook, are experimenting with new ways to integrate entertainment and messaging with in-vehicle technology. According to the Detroit Free Press, the market for these in-vehicle applications could be as much as $2.4 billion in 2012.
NHTSA is campaigning strongly against distracted driving and there is concern that the new technology will add to those distractions.
While acknowledging that improved in-vehicle communications can help drivers navigate and be of great help in emergencies, Strickland said his top priority is car safety.
