Although the U.S. Department of Transportation says it wields the power to regulate mobile apps used for navigation, it still wants the Congress to solidify that power by putting it into writing.
Transportation authorities are particularly interested in seeing the transportation bill being approved in Congress, which would grant the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority to regulate the development of navigation apps and order companies to make changes if it later finds that the apps pose dangers.
Car manufacturers support the transportation department's move, but technology companies are not so happy about having the app development process regulated. The latter, however, is most likely motivated by the fact that they want customers to use built-in navigation systems embedded by automakers into the dashboard, which are already facing regulation from the NHTSA, rather than go for apps such as Google Maps and Apple's Maps on their smaller screens.
"If you put restrictions on the built-in systems designed to be used while driving, it's going to encourage people to use hand-held devices that are not optimal for use by a driver," says Gloria Bergquist, spokeswoman for the auto trade group Alliance of Mobile Manufacturers. "We believe that if you're looking at a smaller screen, that's less effective than looking at a larger screen on the dashboard."
However, mobile app makers argue that the regulation of navigation apps will only hamper the speed of innovation because it is logistically impossible for the government to monitor the development of apps. Executive director of the Intelligent Car Coalition Catherine McCullough cites the NHTSA's lack of budget, infrastructure and people to regulate the crossroad at which Silicon Valley and the auto industry converge.
For its part, the transportation department made it clear that it will be able to review apps before they are made available. What it will be able to do, however, is to order navigation app makers to change or take down their apps if deemed dangerous. The department has already issued guidelines for built-in navigation systems, which should not take more than two seconds for a single interaction and 12 seconds in total.
The New York Times cites the case of Mr. Steven R. Spriggs, a planned giving director at the California State University. Mr. Spriggs was using Maps on his iPhone while driving on city roads in Fresno when a highway patrol officer saw the backlit screen and pulled him over. According to Mr. Spriggs, the officer said it didn't matter that he was using an electronic map; he was still using his smartphone while driving. In California and several other states, calling and texting on a phone while behind the wheel is punishable by law.
Google Maps and Maps by Apple are not the only apps that will be affected if the bill pushes through. Although American drivers largely prefer these two apps, there are hundreds of other navigation apps on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Waze, for example, is a social navigation app that relies on input from friends about things like weather conditions and driving hazards. The Google-owned app issues a warning saying it is not meant to send reports while the car is in motion, but drivers can still switch into passenger mode to allow reports to come in.
"We absolutely need to be looking at these nomadic devices," says National Safety Council president and former NHTSA chairperson Deborah A.P. Hersman.
