<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/tech/" rel="tag">Technology</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><img hspace="0" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/09focump302opt.jpg" /><br />
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Ray LaHood, the Department of Transportation's boss, recently had the revelation that looking down at your phone for four seconds while behind the wheel means you're "driving the length of a football field without watching the road." The DoT goes on to claim that distracted driving took the lives of up to 6,000 Americans in 2008 alone, with many more severely injured. <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> knows the stats and believes that texting while driving should be banned, but at the same time, many of the company's vehicles come with SYNC, arguably the most interactive infotainment system on the market.<br />
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<em>The Detroit News</em> reports that Ford's second generation SYNC system will address distracted driving head-on with the ability to block out all external stimuli while the vehicle is in motion. The "Do Not Disturb" switch will be available first in the MyFord Touch-equipped <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/edge">2011 Ford Edge</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/mkx">Lincoln MKX</a> models. The DND button will block phone calls and text messages while retaining hands-free calling and 911 Assist, which dials up 911 in the event of an emergency. Also blocked is typing on a keypad for text or Internet and narrowing navigation and phone choices. The only question now is: Who's going to turn the feature on?<br />
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[Source: <a href="http://detnews.com/article/20100708/AUTO01/7080344/1148/rss25">Detroit News</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/08/report-2011-ford-sync-system-can-block-features-while-vehicle-i/">Report: 2011 Ford SYNC system can block features while vehicle is moving</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:32:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://detnews.com/article/20100708/AUTO01/7080344/1148/rss25>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/08/report-2011-ford-sync-system-can-block-features-while-vehicle-i/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19546711/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/08/report-2011-ford-sync-system-can-block-features-while-vehicle-i/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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Ray LaHood, the Department of Transportation's boss, recently had the revelation that looking down at your phone for four seconds while behind the wheel means you're "driving the length of a football field without watching the road." The DoT goes on to claim that distracted driving took the lives of up to 6,000 Americans in 2008 alone, with many more severely injured. <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> knows the stats and believes that texting while driving should be banned, but at the same time, many of the company's vehicles come with SYNC, arguably the most interactive infotainment system on the market.<br />
<br />
<em>The Detroit News</em> reports that Ford's second generation SYNC system will address distracted driving head-on with the ability to block out all external stimuli while the vehicle is in motion. The "Do Not Disturb" switch will be available first in the MyFord Touch-equipped <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/edge">2011 Ford Edge</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/mkx">Lincoln MKX</a> models. The DND button will block phone calls and text messages while retaining hands-free calling and 911 Assist, which dials up 911 in the event of an emergency. Also blocked is typing on a keypad for text or Internet and narrowing navigation and phone choices. The only question now is: Who's going to turn the feature on?<br />
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[Source: <a href="http://detnews.com/article/20100708/AUTO01/7080344/1148/rss25">Detroit News</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/08/report-2011-ford-sync-system-can-block-features-while-vehicle-i/">Report: 2011 Ford SYNC system can block features while vehicle is moving</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:32:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://detnews.com/article/20100708/AUTO01/7080344/1148/rss25>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/08/report-2011-ford-sync-system-can-block-features-while-vehicle-i/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19546711/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/08/report-2011-ford-sync-system-can-block-features-while-vehicle-i/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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