Pennsylvania has had enough, goes hands free
After more than a decade of push-pull by lawmakers, Pennsylvania has a hands-free law. State Sen. Rosemary Brown's cell phone measure was signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro on June 5. "I have met too many people with injuries they’ll live with for the rest of their lives because they were hit by a distracted driver," Shapiro said. The new law, which targets use of … [ More... ]
Traffic deaths down; feds target distraction
Traffic deaths continue to fall, with the nation logging seven straight quarterly declines, federal officials said. Yet about 41,000 people died on U.S. roadways in 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported April 1. The report came as the NHTSA started a new push for awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. The rebranded "Put the … [ More... ]
Michigan brakes handheld cell phone use
Longtime automotive capital Michigan has finally put its pedal foot down on distracted driving, by enacting a hands-free law. It goes into effect June 30. Alabama, meanwhile, checked in with a hands-free prohibition that comes capped with secondary enforcement. And Missouri, another longtime safety laggard, enacted a hands-free law, also with secondary … [ More... ]
Ohio to drivers: Keep hands off cell phones
A hands-free cell phone law with primary enforcement goes into effect in Ohio in early April. Gov. Mike DeWine, a firm supporter of limiting cell phone use by all drivers, signed the measure into law Jan. 3. The legislation originated in the House, but was incorporated into a much-larger criminal justice act that emerged from the Senate. House sponsors were state … [ More... ]
Feds survey assisted driving, find 400 crashes
In a first of its kind study, federal transportation officials have surveyed crashes associated with automated driving systems or driver assisted systems. They found more than 500 crashes and six deaths over the past 10 months. The study cited 130 crashes since July 2021 linked to automated driving systems (ADS), which are not yet available for purchase by the … [ More... ]
Tesla pulls the plug on moving game play
Innovative U.S. automaker Tesla is shutting down its Passenger Play game feature over concerns drivers can be distracted by the games screen. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said a Tesla software update will disable the feature while vehicles are moving. The NHTSA had just announced an investigation into the entertainment system the day … [ More... ]
Virginia, Arizona, Idaho roll out distracted fines
Motorists have been warned. Now they'll be fined. A trio of states saw their distracted driving laws take full effect with the new year, bringing new fines. Virginia, Arizona and Idaho had been issuing warnings under previously enacted hands-free laws. In Virginia, the law now prohibits the holding of wireless communications devices while driving. Although the … [ More... ]
Distraction deaths up 10%, NHTSA reports
Deaths from motor-vehicle crashes decreased slightly last year, but distraction-related fatalities were up 10 percent, federal analysts said. 2019 motor-vehicle crashes resulted in a 2 percent decrease in fatalities from 2018, according to final figures released in late December 2020 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number of deaths … [ More... ]
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