The passenger problem is the inability of technological systems designed for use in a moving vehicle to differentiate between a driver and a passenger. The passenger problem arises when such a device or system is intended to function differently when used by a driver versus a passenger, but is unable to autonomously determine the role of its

user Ancient Egyptian roles * User (ancient Egyptian official), an ancient Egyptian nomarch (governor) of the Eighth Dynasty * Useramen, an ancient Egyptian vizier also called "User" Other uses * User (computing), a person (or software) using an ...

. The problem is a factor for

distracted driving Distracted driving is the act of driving while engaging in other activities which distract the driver's attention away from the road. Distractions are shown to compromise the safety of the driver, passengers, pedestrians, and people in other vehic ...

prevention systems,

GPS navigation software Satellite navigation software or GPS navigation software usually falls into one of the following two categories: # Navigation with route calculation and directions from the software to the user of the route to take, based on a vector-based map, n ...

, and

usage-based insurance Usage-based insurance (UBI), also known as pay as you drive (PAYD), pay how you drive (PHYD) and mile-based auto insurance, is a type of vehicle insurance whereby the costs are dependent upon type of vehicle used, measured against time, distance, b ...

systems.

History

The term "passenger problem" was first used by technology writer

David Pogue David Welch Pogue (born March 9, 1963) is an American technology and science writer and TV presenter. He is an Emmy-winning correspondent for ''CBS News Sunday Morning'' and author of the "Crowdwise" column in ''The New York Times'' Smarter Livi ...

in 2010 as part of a series on distracted driving in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. Reviewing the first generation of distracted driving prevention technologies, Pogue noted their different approaches to the problem: “How can I bypass the block if I’m not the one driving?” The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) acknowledged the passenger problem with the publication of its first set of Distracted Driving Safety Guidelines in 2012. The guidelines applied only to integrated vehicle electronics, recommending the lock-out of dangerous tasks “For any in-vehicle device that is within sight and reach of the driver (even if it is intended for use solely by passengers)…whenever the vehicle’s engine is on and its transmission is not in ‘Park’.” The guidelines intentionally excluded portable devices such as

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

s because of the “special challenges” posed by the fact that their position in the vehicle is not fixed. In 2014, the

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rela ...

(NHTSA) convened a public meeting on the subject of distracted driving prevention technologies, expressing its interest “in technology to determine the location of portable and aftermarket devices within the vehicle, thereby automatically determining whether the device is operated by the driver versus passengers while driving” for safety purposes.

References

{{Reflist Driver distraction