The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™ has sent a letter to Department of Transportation (DoT) Secretary Elaine Chao and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting-Director Mark Sandy, asking them to review the proposed Driver Distraction Guidelines for Portable and Aftermarket Devices (Phase 2 Guidelines) that were issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in December. According to the letter:

"As the principal U.S. trade association representing the consumer technology industry, CTA shares NHTSA's concerns about the hazards of distracted driving. However, we believe that the Phase 2 Guidelines takes the wrong approach to this important issue, both in substance and by impermissibly reaching beyond NHTSA's statutory authority under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act."

 "The January 20, 2017 memo from the White House Chief of Staff calls for a halt in all pending regulations in order to afford the new administration the opportunity to review them. CTA believes that the proposed Phase 2 Guidelines raise substantial questions of law and policy that merit a careful review by the agency and OMB Director. While NHTSA maintains that the proposed guidelines would be voluntary and non-binding, in practice they could have a sweeping effect on the multibillion-dollar market for mobile devices and apps. Given the magnitude of the effect that the Phase 2 Guidelines would have on participants across the mobile device ecosystem - as well as on the American public more broadly - we believe it is essential that this guidance project initiated under the last Administration receive a complete de novo review by the Trump Administration."