Sir, The Times (leading article and report, Aug 15) says that drivers causing death by “switching on a radio” could face being jailed for up to five years under new legislation.

If a driver puts a puppy in a car and is distracted, that’s the driver’s fault. If, however, the manufacturer designs a cuddly puppy as an integral part of a car because it sells cars better, then the manufacturer would be at fault.

Many car radios, navigation and entertainment systems have operator manuals larger and more complex than the car’s. They are complex systems rather like puppies: they endear the car to purchasers in the showroom and are a well-understood distraction on the road.

I trust that courts will not blame drivers for the consequences of poor design. Families of victims should not always blame the driver; sometimes nobody can drive a car safely with the distractions built into them.

The science of interaction design can make devices easier to use and safer if manufacturers want to use it; blaming the user instead will delay making roads safer.

Harold Thimbleby
Director, Future Interaction Lab
Swansea University

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