WASHINGTON, D.C. — Not so fast. Just days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has withdrawn a request for comments on new federal guidelines for distracted and drowsy driving just days after publishing it.
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No reason was given. NHTSA was seeking public comment on the proposal through Sept. 22.
The agency stated in the Federal Register on Tuesday that an amendment to its Highway Safety Program Guidelines “will provide more accurate, current and effective guidance to the states regarding distracted and drowsy driving.”
The amendment would require all states to enact and enforce laws that prohibit the use of wireless communications devices while driving, which would ban talking, dialing, browsing or texting when operating a vehicle. NHTSA added that drivers should also be prohibited from texting while stopped in an active traffic lane. Any violation, the agency stated, should be a primary offense.
Additionally, the proposal advised that states should enact and enforce laws that prohibit drowsy driving, using existing statutes that address reckless driving, along with training for law enforcement to identify drowsy drivers. To help drivers learn the harmful effects of distracted and drowsy driving, NHTSA recommended that states include information on the issue in licensing manuals as well as in behind-the-wheel and classroom tests.
NHTSA will provide the guidelines on the agency’s website.
