Highway deaths linked to distracted driving were up slightly in 2011, an increase that the federal government said reflected better reporting and increased awareness of the problem. The number of people killed in distraction-related crashes rose to 3,331 in 2011 from 3,267 in 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported Dec. 10. About 387,000 people were injured in wrecks blamed on distracted driving, a 7 percent decline from the estimated 416,000 people hurt in those crashes in 2010. Overall, national highway deaths fell to 32,367 in 2011, the lowest level since 1949 and a 1.9 percent decrease from 2010, the NHTSA reported. There was an overall 4.6 percent decrease … [Read more...]
Distracted driving incentives survive
July 1, 2012 by 4 Comments
Distracted driving incentives survived an official challenge from the U.S. House, as the federal transportation bill was approved and sent to the president for his signature. The bill provides about $78 million in incentives for states that ban text messaging for all drivers and the use of handheld cell phones by young drivers. States that do not would not share in this additional funding but would not lose existing funding. States receiving the distracted driving grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be required to spend some of the money on enforcement and education. The DOT already has been funding distracted driving crackdowns in several states as "research" into … [Read more...]
$2.4 mil for Calif., Del. enforcement
June 7, 2012 by 1 Comment
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled a "Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving" that includes $2.4 million in funding for enforcement in Northern California and Delaware. LaHood's plan seeks to encourage the 11 states without distracted driving laws to take action, although there were no specifics on how this would be achieved. The new Department of Transportation plan also calls for the auto industry to adopt "new and future guidelines for technology to reduce the potential for distraction," but it was unclear if this signaled any kind of increased pressure on vehicle makers. The DOT chief unveiled the Blueprint at a press conference in Washington. He was accompanied by Ali … [Read more...]
Truckers: Why no public cell ban?
January 10, 2012 by 10 Comments
The federal government says truck drivers can't talk on handheld cell phones. Fair enough, the pros say -- but what about the "four wheelers" who cause most of the wrecks involving trucks? A week after that federal ban on handheld cell phone use went into effect, the trucking industry seems to have the issue in its rear-view mirror. But some truckers still want to know why professional drivers are being singled out. "I am so tired of hearing, 'The feds can't do anything with four-wheelers,'" one pro wrote in an industry forum. "If they're gonna travel the same roads I do, they can follow the same laws." Lyndon Finney, editor of the industry publication the Trucker, told Hands Free Info: … [Read more...]
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