In an odd policy statement this week, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety criticized the government for focusing too much on distracted driving and unintended acceleration, and ignoring more important safety concerns. “The hypervisibility of these issues diverts attention from initiatives that have far greater potential to save lives,” said the group’s president Adrian Lund. “There’s nothing rational about the way we set highway safety priorities.”
Posts Tagged ‘distracted driving’
Does NHTSA Focus Too Much on Distracted Driving and Unintended Acceleration?
Posted Friday, August 27th, 2010Pets Join Cell Phones on Distracted Driving List
Posted Thursday, August 19th, 2010San Francisco isn’t the only region cracking down on distracted driving this month. Here in Contra Costa County, California Highway Patrol officers have cited more than 300 drivers this week for violating distracted driving laws which prohibit the use of handheld devices behind the wheel. On Wednesday, the CHP issued nearly 800 citations for the dangerous practice in the Bay Area as a whole, reports the Contra Costa Times.
San Francisco Cracks Down on Distracted Drivers
Posted Wednesday, August 18th, 2010Following the nationwide tidal wave recognizing the extreme dangers of distracted driving, San Francisco has launched a series of crack downs in recent weeks to enforce California’s laws against using handheld devices behind the wheel. Last week’s crackdown led to more than 900 tickets for cell phone users. Today, the California Highway Patrol has launched the second citywide bust in ten days, and expects to ticket at least that number.
Seventeen Magazine Spearheads Contest to Combat Distracted Driving
Posted Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010Gearing up for its second annual distracted driving summit in September, the Department of Transportation has teamed up with Seventeen Magazine and AAA to sponsor a contest to promote safe driving. The coalition will choose the best anti-distracted driving video among thousands submitted to YouTube, publish the winning video on all three websites, and award the winning producer $2,000. The complete rules for the contest are posted at www.seventeen.com/twosecond
Secretary LaHood to Host Second Annual Distracted Driving Summit
Posted Thursday, July 29th, 2010It’s slowly becoming an undisputed reality that distracted driving is dangerous and state governments should ban the use of hand held devices behind the wheel. Calling for more research and deterrence, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will host the second annual distracted driving summit in Washington DC this September.
Washington State Adopts Distracted Driving Law: Critics Call Foul
Posted Tuesday, June 8th, 2010New and improved laws against distracted driving are popping up nationwide. This is partially thanks to the statistical consensus that talking, texting, and typing while driving has a significant impact on vehicle accidents and has made distracted driving the number one killer of teenagers. It’s also the restult of a media offensive that culminated on April 30 with Oprah Winfrey’s No Phone Zone Day. This Thursday, June 10, Washington State will become the newest state to jump on the safer driving band wagon and make the use of a handheld cellular device a primary offense.
Call to End Distracted Driving Goes Global
Posted Wednesday, May 19th, 2010This morning, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood joined with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to launch a “Global Call to Action on Ending Distracted Driving.” LaHood announced on his website yesterday that the event marks international collaboration between US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice and Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin to say “Hang up,” “Put it down,” and “Just drive.” Get involved on Facebook, Twitter, and webcast!
Wisconsin Joins Battle Against Distracted Driving
Posted Wednesday, May 12th, 2010Last week, Wisconsin joined the 23 states in the battle to ban texting, typing, and talking while driving a car. “It is a situation in which technology moves beyond the laws of the state and this is a law that has us catch up with technology,” said Governor Jim Doyle when he signed the bill into law. The law will impose a fine of $20-$400 on drivers caught texting or emailing behind the wheel, a fine similar to California’s anti-distracted driving law. In the absence of a nationwide law, teens and insurance companies are starting to take the “epidemic” on firsthand.
Oprah’s ‘No Phone Zone’ Day Targets Distracted Driving Epidemic
Posted Monday, May 3rd, 2010On Friday April 30, television superstar Oprah Winfrey lent her powerful voice to the fight against distracted driving in celebration of “No Phone Zone Day.” Oprah has been chronicling the dangers of texting, typing, and talking while driving since January, when she dedicated her show to the underreported statistics: 6,000 people are killed and 500,000 are injured in accidents caused by distracted driving.
Parents: Test Your Teenager on a Distracted Driving Simulator
Posted Monday, April 26th, 2010Generally, I’m not a fan of efforts to reduce distracted driving among teens by scaring the crap out of them. There are all sorts of stats that clearly portray the dangers of distracted driving: last year, it was responsible for nearly 600,000 deaths; it is the number one killer of teenagers; and it’s just as dangerous as driving while drunk. But if teens today are a fraction as stubborn as I was as a teenager, listing statistics to kids won’t have a lasting effect. Instead, consider testing a distracted driving simulator on your teenager and let him or her be the judge.
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