Distracted driving an epidemic, summit told

“Distracted driving is a menace to society,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Wednesday as he opened the federal summit on text messaging, cell phoning and other forms of dangerous behaviors behind the wheel.

The government was ready with the statistical evidence: 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured in 2008 in which distracted driving was a factor. Sixteen percent of fatal crashes had the link, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found.

“Distracted driving is an epidemic and it seems to be getting worse every year,” LaHood told his audience of experts on traffic safety.

The summit was inspired by the growing national alarm over the problems of inattentive driving, primarily the potentially deadly practice of text messaging while driving, a practice seen as common among young adults.

One of the opening day’s hot topics was whether hands-free devices really do make cell phone use by drivers safer. Another discussion looked at the the difficulties faced by law officers trying to determine if drivers are texting.

One expert called text messaging while driving “the perfect storm that brings together visual, manual and cognitive demands.”

On Thursday, LaHood plans to unveil the steps his DOT will take to address the distracted driving crisis.

Still, “You can’t legislate behavior,” LaHood said. “Taking personal responsibility for our actions is the key.”

The public is invited to view the summit online and to submit questions for the panelists. View the page for the distracted driving webcast.

Distracted driving summit starts Wednesday

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s summit on distracted driving begins Wednesday, bringing more than 200 experts to Washington to address the problems of texting and using cell phones while on the road.

The summit was inspired by the growing national alarm over the problems of inattentive driving, primarily the potentially deadly practice of text messaging while driving, a practice seen as common among young adults.

The public is invited to view the summit online and to submit questions for the panelists. View the page for the distracted driving webcast.

The DOT will issue a series of actions to deal with the crisis once it hears from the gathering of senior transportation officials, safety advocates, law enforcement representatives, members of Congress and academics who study distracted driving.

The DOT outlined the two-day summit’s agenda like so:

Day 1: A context setting panel where participants will examine the scope of the issue and the various distractions that exist, followed by a panel that will review currently available research. The day wraps with an examination of distractions caused by technology and efforts made to assess and reduce negative effects caused by current and planned devices. Panelists will also consider technology that can prevent the consequences of driver distraction.

Day 2: A review of legislative and regulatory approaches for dealing with distracted driving; evaluations of the impact of such measures; and enforcement issues. Members of Congress and their staff will also have the opportunity to contribute to the discussion. The day concludes with a discussion with teens about their experiences with distracted driving followed by an examination of various public awareness initiatives and research regarding the effectiveness of these efforts.

“The public is sick and tired of people being distracted and causing accidents,” DOT chief Ray LaHood said at an early August press conference announcing the federal summit. “We all know texting while driving is dangerous and we are going to do something about it so that responsible drivers don’t have to worry about it when they or a loved one get on the road.”

Read the full agenda for the distracted driving summit.

Texting ban opponents say the darndest things

We’re becoming connoisseurs of ridiculous arguments against driver-safety laws for cell phones and text messaging devices.

It’s rare to see two in the same day, but we are doubly blessed today. Check out these bone-headed comments from a couple of Republicans during West Virginia’s committee meeting on texting while driving:

Delegate Carol Miller, R-Cabell, pointed out that kids are really, really good at text messaging while driving.

“Young people can text all day without even looking,” she said.

If texting and driving is banned in West Virginia, perhaps there should be an exemption for truly skilled thumb jockeys under the age of 25.

Delegate Jonathan Miller, R-Berkeley, dismissed the nationwide movement to ban handheld cell phone use by drivers:

“Other states are just making a political statement.”

True. They appear to be working some kind of anti-death agenda.

Let’s hope Miller’s constituents also make a political statement next time this guy is up for re-election.

Read more about West Virginia and cell phone, text messaging bans.

Automaker backs texting bans

Automaker Ford has endorsed congressional plans to force states into banning text messaging while driving.

The Ford Motor Co. said it believes hand-held texting “substantially increases the risk of accidents.” It is the first U.S. automaker to weigh in on the texting ban issue.

Ford’s entry into the texting debate has no clear purpose, nor is it likely to make a significant impact on pending legislation. The endorsement does, however, provide some more ammo for lawmakers nationwide seeking to wipe out the dangerous practice.

In any case, the Ford endorsement of congressional action has resulted in lots of free publicity for its Ford Sync dashboard systems, which provide voice-activated hands-free mobile phone calls.

The Ford Sync system, standard on many of the Detroit company’s products, also has the ability to voice text messages to the vehicle’s occupants. Sync was built with Microsoft software.

Ford made clear it was backing bans on hand-held texting. Support is starting to emerge for bans on all cell phones and texting devices, which certainly could impact interactive mobile communications systems such as Ford Sync. The National Safety Council has called for a ban on all cell phone calls, for instance.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-New York, made a splash several weeks ago with a plan to penalize states that refuse to ban texting with a 25 percent reduction in highway funding. A similar approach has been used to raise legal drinking ages and to mandate seat belts.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, also a Democrat from New York, is leading the charge in the House.

“Ford deserves credit for stepping up as the first car company to endorse a ban on this dangerous habit,” Schumer said in a statement. “We are gathering a critical mass of support for this bill, which will give us the momentum we need to get it passed.”

The story first appeared in the New York Times.

A Ford vp was quoted as saying: “The most complete and most recent research shows that activity that draws drivers’ eyes away from the road for an extended period while driving — such as text messaging — substantially increases the risk of accidents.”

Verizon wireless also has come out in favor of the nationwide texting ban.

NTSB staff ban on texting, cell phoning

The new boss at the National Transportation Safety Board is a fan of BlackBerries, but not of hypocrisy.

After her ceremonial swearing in Tuesday, NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman announced a ban on text messaging and talking on cell phones for all staffers who are driving during work hours.

The policy extends to texting and cell phoning on personal time if the driver is using a federally owned wireless device.

Hersman, appointed to the post by President Obama, noted that “the risk of catastrophic consequences is too great.” She noted her own addiction to her BlackBerry. The new policy applies to her as well as the 400 or so employees of the NTSB.

The small, independent federal agency has previously called for policies against cell phone use by school bus drivers, public transit operators and young drivers with restricted licenses.

Hersman called the internal ban “a sterile-cockpit rule.” The NTSB is best known for its investigations of airplane crashes.

Text messaging video sobering, stunning

The Utah texting tragedy that saw two scientists lose their lives has inspired a remarkable 15-minute documentary that should be seen by everyone who uses handheld portable electronic devices.

The New York Times recently profiled the case of Reggie Shaw, a college student who was text messaging as he lost control of his SUV and killed the rocket scientists, who were on their way to work. Shaw received a month in jail and 100 hours of community service, an incredibly light sentence that inspired new Utah laws that could add up to 15 years in prison for a texting-related vehicular homicide.

The somber and unsettling video visits with Shaw and the widows of his two victims, as well as the officer, prosecutor and judge who handled the case. The film needs no scare tactics to make its point; the glimpse of these shattered lives gets the message across.

View the complete text messaging fatality video on a Utah safety site or see it in two parts below:

Utah’s Department of Transportation reports the texting tragedy video was viewed at least a quarter million times in the three weeks following its Aug. 12 release. It is being shown in driver education classes and will seen at the state’s high school football championship games.

Another texting safety video is getting attention these days. It was made in Wales, with student actors. The PSA takes a more traditional scare approach but is worth a look as well.

Wide support for bans on texting, driving

About 80 percent of Americans favor bans on text messaging while driving, according to a new poll on distracted driving habits. A majority of those polled would like to see laws restricting all types of cell phone use behind the wheel — regardless of whether a hands-free device is employed.

The Nationwide Insurance poll on cell phones and text messaging by drivers, conducted in early August, surveyed more than 1,000 adults nationwide. It was conducted independently, by Harris Interactive.

Almost two-thirds of the respondents backed some controls on cell phone use by drivers.

Three-fourths of those in tech-savvy age groups (21-44) wanted to see bans on text messaging and emailing while driving.

The distracted-driving study found a big drop in those admitting to using cell phones while behind the wheel. In 2008, more than 80 percent of those polled admitted to yakking and motoring. This year, only 49% fessed up. Even though some large states like California have recently outlawed the practice, Nationwide suspected “many drivers are either in denial about their DWD (driving while distracted) habits.”

More than 80% of those who admitted to using cell phones on the road said they wouldn’t change their habit unless laws compelled them to do so. And 18% said they’d drive and phone regardless of what the law said.

While some states restrict handheld cell phone use by younger drivers, the poll found three-quarters of respondents wanted the laws applied equally to all motorists.

The unfriendly skies: Cell phones in flight

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio doesn’t like what he hears about the possibility of cell phones being legalized on airline flights.

He’s sponsoring the Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace Act — or HANG UP — which would prohibit the FCC from allowing mobile phone use in the skies.

DeFazio, D-Oregon, is no buttinski — he’s a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

“After arriving hours early at the airport and often after waiting for a delayed, or even canceled, flight, what could make air travel worse?” he asks rhetorically in an opinion piece on cell phones on airplanes, in U.S. News & World Report. “How about being stuck next to a person droning on about his latest breakup or medical procedure for the length of your flight?”

DeFazio continues: “It is bad enough when the person sitting next to you on an overnight flight leaves the light on. Now imagine trying to sleep while he yaks on the phone. And on a plane, unlike on a bus or a train, a passenger cannot get up and move to get away from a person’s cellphone conversation. ”

His legislation recently passed the House of Representatives as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2009. Support comes from the National Business Travel Association, the International Airline Passengers Association and the Association of Flight Attendants/Communications Workers of America.

For a rebuttal, arguing in favor of cell phones on planes, check out “If Europe Can Handle In-Flight Cellphone Use, So Can America.” Here’s a sample:

The proposed ban is based upon the incorrect assumption that everyone else on the planet is just more polite than we are and that American flight crews cannot maintain cabin decorum as their foreign counterparts have done and continue to do every day. … America is ready to join the rest of the world when it comes to in-flight communication connectivity.