A total of 63 people have been killed so far this year in traffic. That is twice as many as at the same time last year. The road authorities are concerned that many are unconcentrated while driving and are introducing emergency measures such as adjusting the speed limit in several cities. But Trygg Trafikk wants to go further, and will introduce a ban on using touch screens when the car is in motion. Knut Olav Røssland Nestås, regional leader for Trygg Trafikk Vestland, believes that a solution should lie in voice control. – Why can the car not be used to a greater extent in the same way as some other gadgets with voice command, he asks. The organization is now also involved in a research project to find out how drivers distribute their attention when they drive a car. It will provide new knowledge about screen use in cars. Want a ban on use Screens in some modern cars can offer a number of functions, such as watching video or singing karaoke. LEGAL: There are no separate laws against using such touch screens when driving a car. Photo: Nikolai Akse Helgås / news Where the use of a mobile phone in the car has been regulated under its own laws for over 20 years, laws aimed at using the screen in the car while driving have not yet been implemented. In its document “Safe Traffic believes”, Trygg Trafikk has pointed out that there should be a ban on all printing that cannot be operated through a multifunction steering wheel. VOICE CONTROL: The use of voice control has been introduced in several modern cars. Photo: Nikolai Akse Helgås / news Distraction In one of three fatal accidents in traffic, lack of attention is a contributing factor, figures from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration show. In May and June this year alone, 37 people lost their lives in traffic. Department head for traffic safety, Guro Ranes, says it is not free to watch video or karaoke when driving. – It is still illegal to spend time on this under general traffic rules. You have to follow the road, she points out. She adds that even though it is not forbidden to press large screens in the car, it should be natural for most drivers not to pay too much attention to them. The screens themselves are probably here to stay, as all cars sold in Norway are subject to the EU’s rules to be type approved. Therefore, Norway can not set limits on how these screens work, but only how they are used. Ranes understands that some people react to different regulations when it comes to mobile phone use and other screen use. THIS IS LAW: When the mobile phone is placed in the mobile holder, you can enter the phone number, start or end calls. Photo: Nikolai Akse Helgås / news She does not rule out that there may be separate laws aimed at the new screens at a later date. – We chose to regulate mobile use because we saw a need to be specific, but the principle is the same with all screen use. LEADER FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY: Large screens can take the attention away from driving a car, says Guro Ranes in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. Photo: Knut Opeide / Norwegian Public Roads Administration NAF critical Member organization for car owners, NAF, is critical of a ban in Norway against pressing touch screens. – We can not support a special Norwegian ban. It is difficult to see the scope of, and could create many involuntary offenders, says press officer Ingunn Handagard. She points out that many car manufacturers are moving more and more functions to the screens and that there may be situations where the motorist has to use the screens along the way. NAF’s clear advice to motorists is to set the functions before the trip, and to drive to the side if there is a need to set navigation or the like. The car manufacturer Tesla, which is the car company with the most sold cars so far in 2022, writes on its website that the use of entertainment functions is illegal while driving. The karaoke function, on the other hand, is allowed, they write, as long as the driver does not follow the text.
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Wants a ban on pressing the touch screen at speed – news Vestland
