Auto group endorses texting ban

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A major automakers trade group said Wednesday it endorsed efforts to keep U.S. drivers from using hand-held phones or texting messages while behind the wheel.

"Clearly, using a hand-held device to text or call while driving is a safety risk," said Dave McCurdy, president and chief executive officer of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

The trade group, which represents Ford Motor Co., Chrysler Group, General Motors Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and others, supports the use of hands-free devices, The Detroit News reported.

But McCurdy said: "You have to minimize the eyes' off-the-road time. That's critical."

The endorsement came a week before the U.S. Transaction Department's scheduled meetings on distracted drivers, the News said.

"If it were up to me, I would ban drivers from texting. But ... laws aren't always enough. Often, you need to combine education with enforcement to get results," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last month.

Fourteen states have banned texting while driving.

A bill sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., would force the government to withhold 25 percent of federal highway funding from states that do not adopt bills banning texting while driving.