Cell Phones Only Beginning of Driver Distraction

June 27 -- As technology seeps into a cranny of our lives that was once a data-free haven — our cars — legislators and researchers are taking a hard look at just how many diversions drivers can handle while remaining safe.

Moved by tales of distracted cell phone-wielding motorists, New York lawmakers approved what would be the nation's first statewide ban on driving while using a handheld cell phone. The bill awaits Gov. George Pataki's signature.

So far in 2001, at least 27 states have considered measures aimed at curbing cell phones and other technology in cars. Eleven local jurisdictions now prohibit drivers from using handheld phones while driving.

But cell phones are just the beginning of the technology we'll soon see in our cars. Automotive and mobile technology companies are pouring millions into creating wireless voice and data communication devices to keep us connected while we're behind the wheel.

By 2005, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, all new cars are expected to have some form of on-board computer accessible to the driver.

With innovation in car-based technology coming fast, government regulators are grappling with how to balance safety concerns with the latest gadgets. After all, government researchers estimate that 20 percent to 30 percent of all crashes result from some form of driver distraction.

"Our problem now is to understand a new set of distractions associated with an ever-growing array of new in-vehicle electronic devices … rapidly being developed by the electronics and automobile industries," L. Robert Shelton, NHTSA's executive director, told a House subcommittee in Washington last month.

The Information Super-Highway in Your Car

For sure, electronic devices in cars are getting more advanced. Wireless safety and security systems already are installed in some cars, including devices that provide automated directions. Eventually, cars will be portals to all kinds of leisure and information services: from music, news, e-mail and phone calls for drivers to movies and games for passengers.