Distracted driving crashes killed fewer people in 2012, but the number of injuries was up significantly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said 3,328 died in the distracted driving crashes, down slightly from 2011's 3,360 fatalities. About 421,000 injuries occurred in 2012, a 9 percent increase from the previous year (387,000). The NHTSA said it is "just beginning to identify distraction-related accidents," so the totals of death and injuries no doubt are higher -- as has been the case since use of mobile communications devices while behind the wheel became an issue in … [Read more...]
Calif. teen-texting loophole closed
October 15, 2013 by 1 Comment
California teens are breaking the law if they text message while driving. Period. Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation closing a loophole that allowed drivers under 18 to use voice-activated technology to text while driving. The novice drivers aren't allowed to use communications devices such as smartphones, whether hand-held or hands-free. (Adults are permitted to use hands-free devices.) But a 2012 revision to California's distracted driving laws permits use of hands-free technology for texting, and that change applied to all drivers. The 2012 change to the driving laws followed … [Read more...]
Florida’s texting law already targeted
October 2, 2013 by 1 Comment
Florida's debate over distracted driving is far from over, even though the Sunshine State finally has a ban on texting while driving. The new text messaging law, which went into effect Oct. 1, isn't getting much respect from safety experts, survivors groups, the press and some lawmakers, many of whom cite the ban's secondary-enforcement status as weak and ineffectual. State Sen. Maria Sachs (pictured) used the bully pulpit of day 1 of the texting law to propose an upgrade to primary enforcement, which allows police to stop and cite violators for that reason alone. Secondary enforcement … [Read more...]
N.Y. signs off on ‘texting zones’
September 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
New York is setting up "texting zones" on state thruways and highways, with rest stops, Park-n-Ride lots and the like doing double duty as safe harbors for text messaging. Sorry, no cyber cafes or blazing-fast wireless service. The initiative appears to boil down to 298 highway signs going up urging motorists to pull off the highway -- safely and in designated areas -- instead of engaging in distracted driving. "We are sending a clear message to drivers that there is no excuse to take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road because your text can wait until the next texting zone," … [Read more...]
In S.C., a parade of local texting bans
September 10, 2013 by 1 Comment
Two more municipalities in South Carolina have outlawed texting while driving, citing the state's inability to pass distracted driving legislation. Mount Pleasant approved a local ban Sept. 10, a day after the Beauford County barred texting. The Beauford ban includes the use of all cell phones by drivers under the age of 18. Hilton Head, which is part of Beauford County, adopted a texting ban in early July. Charleston's City Council, meanwhile, is nearing approval of an ordinance banning texting while driving. A key vote on the issue was just postponed until Sept. 24, … [Read more...]
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