WASHINGTON — The Transportation Department asked automakers to design devices allowing drivers access to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter so they can’t be used while a car is moving.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in the nonbinding guidelines issued Thursday, also called for disabling manual texting, Internet browsing, 10-digit phone dialing and the ability to enter addresses into a built-in navigation system for drivers unless the car is in park.
The department said it’s considering future guidelines to address hand-held electronics brought into cars and minimizing distractions from voice-activated systems. Today’s guidelines culminate LaHood’s campaign to bring attention to distracted driving caused by use of mobile phones and other electronic devices behind the wheel.
“DOT is on the right path,” Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, said in an e-mail. “We particularly like the guideline for disabling devices that text and surf the Internet, etc.”
The guidelines don’t apply to electronic warning systems such as lane-departure or collision alerts.
