The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is sounding the alarm about new in-vehicle infotainment technology and its role in distracted driving collisions.
A Kentucky State Police official anticipates more lock-out features in future vehicles.
The AAA foundation cited interactive technologies such as calling, texting, music selection, or programming directions for consuming critical seconds taking eyes are off the road.
Kentucky State Police Sergeant Josh Lawson says, when accidents occur, driver self-admission is often the only way to recognize distracted driving as a cause.
“There’s no field sobriety test or blood test or anything like that for distracted driving, for using an electronic communications device while somebody is driving and that being a contributing factor to them being in a collision,” said Lawson.
The use of electronic devices is attributed as at least a partial cause for over 2300 collisions during 2015 and 2016. Lawson says there were some 2200 citations written. But, the KSP sergeant says the number of citations from year to year dropped by well over 900.
He's hoping that’s a reflection of enforcement and changes in the use of mobile devices while driving.
