US regulators want phone makers to add driving mode, emulating airplane mode

Recently, according to the New York Times, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will issue a series of voluntary guidelines requiring smartphone manufacturers to add driving modes or otherwise restrict users' access to certain applications and functions while driving.

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation said that today's smartphones are not just a communication device, they have too many functions. But because of this, many people cannot concentrate when driving and are often distracted by smartphones, which has caused many casualties.

According to reports, NHTSA guidelines require smartphone manufacturers to not only include a function to limit the use of mobile phones while driving in future operating systems, but also develop a function that can detect when users are using their phones while driving. The agency has made similar requirements to car infotainment and navigation system manufacturers in the past, but this is the first time it has made such a recommendation for mobile portable devices.

Regulators clearly hope that this move will help curb the trend of frequent traffic accidents caused by drivers distracted by their phones. Most of the previous measures have focused on limiting calls and text messages, but this time the relevant agencies believe that it is also necessary to limit other applications of smartphones. Unlike smart phones for communication, smartphones can achieve the same functions as computers through applications, such as media playback, games and real-time video calls.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.