The Massachusetts Senate has passed a bill banning the use of handheld mobile phones while driving. The Senate bill, S.2093, requires anyone using a phone while driving to use hands-free technology to both dial a number and to talk, prohibiting the driver from holding his phone. Fines would be $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense, and $500 for a third offense.
The bill passed must still be passed by the House and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in order to become law. In 2010, Massachusetts banned texting while driving, but there have been complaints that if someone is pulled over for texting, the law gives the driver an out because he can say he was dialing a phone number.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 14 states and Washington D.C. have banned talking on a handheld cell phone while driving. Text messaging while driving is banned in 46 states and Washington D.C. www.malegislature.gov
Obama 2017 budget calls for automated cars, accelerates vehicle safety innovations
President Barack Obama’s FY2017 budget proposal includes a 10-year, nearly $4 billion investment to accelerate the development and adoption of safe vehicle automation through real-world pilot projects. Pilot programs would test connected vehicle systems in designated corridors throughout the country and work with industry leaders to ensure a multistate framework for connected and autonomous vehicles.
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) officials revealed policy guidance to update the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 2013 preliminary statement on autonomous vehicles, reflecting widespread deployment of fully autonomous vehicles.
In December 2015, DOT launched the Smart City Challenge, a national competition to implement bold, data-driven ideas that make transportation safer, easier, and more reliable in the city. DOT also worked to accelerate efforts to incorporate vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology into new vehicles. www.nhtsa.gov