Talking or texting on a cell phone while driving is already illegal in many states, but glancing at Google Maps presents a far trickier question. Now, the Department of Transportation wants to clarify the issue by regulating navigation aides of all kinds, including apps on smartphones.

According to a New York Times report, the department is asking lawmakers to grant it this authority as part of the “GROW AMERICA” transportation bill currently making its way through Congress.

The measure would explicitly delegate the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the authority to set restrictions on navigation apps and later require modifications if they are deemed dangerous.

Safety advocates and automakers welcomed the proposal. Automakers already comply with voluntary guidelines on in-car navigation systems.

“We absolutely need to be looking at these nomadic devices,” Deborah A. P. Hersman, President of the National Safety Council, told the Times.

But technology companies are wary of the DOT power grab. The rulemaking process is notoriously unwieldy, and it could prove difficult to use it to adequately regulate the rapidly evolving smartphone market.

“They don’t have enough software engineers,” Catherine McCullough, Executive Director of the Intelligent Car Coalition, told the Times. “They don’t have the budget or the structure to oversee both Silicon Valley and the auto industry.”

Still, with the number of injuries caused by distracted drivers increasing every year, pressure on the government to step in and “do something” will only grow.