This month, a key federal safety agency plans to issue guidelines on the types of potentially distracting technology that new vehicles come with. The goal is to prevent the burgeoning number of gadgets and apps from causing distracted driving accidents in Colorado and across the country.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is working on regulations to limit the use of smartphone applications available inside cars.

It's true that 34 states have some form of ban on texting while driving. But having a ban on the books is one thing; enforcing it is another.

That is why it's important to get a handle on which, and how many, factory-installed technological features will be available inside new vehicles.

For example, isn't it asking for trouble to have a built-in display screen in which drivers can engage in live chat about a sports contest?

The problems such devices poses could only get worse, as a generation that grew up on text messaging starts buying their own cars.

David Strickland, the administrator of NHTSA, put it this way last spring. "Teens' use of mobile devices is the lifeblood of that generation's entire social experience. Rather than react to every technology as it pops up, NHTSA needs a framework that clearly defines the danger zone for the driver, allowing us to keep pace with the industry rather than playing catch-up."

In other words, NHTSA is trying to be more proactive about safe ways to respond to the ongoing technological revolution. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is also committed to putting stronger regulations in place to guide the use of technology in motor vehicles.

Putting limits on the use of built-in technology in vehicles is an idea whose time has finally come.

Source: "High-tech features can tempt drivers to take eyes off road," Chicago Tribune, 8-27-11