Legislators in New Jersey and Maryland have moved to significantly toughen their state's electronic distracted driving laws. In New Jersey, what appears to be "the toughest hands-free cell phone law in the nation" is closer to enactment as the Legislature sent a distracted driving measure to Gov. Chris Christie. In Maine, a bill that gives primary enforcement status to the current wireless communications law has advanced from the House to the Senate. The bill also hikes fines for texting & talking on handheld cell phones while driving to as much as $500. First-time distracted driving … [Read more...]
U.S. drivers the most distracted
March 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
U.S. drivers are far more likely than Europeans to drive while distracted by wireless communications devices such as cell phones, a trans-Atlantic study found. Almost 70 percent of U.S. drivers said they'd used a cell phone in the past 30 days, compared with 21 percent in the United Kingdom. The closest nation to the U.S. in cell phone & driving numbers was Portugal, with 60 percent of drivers admitting to the practice. Meanwhile, a new "teens and technology" survey finds that teens who own smartphones (such as the iPhone) access the Internet that way about half of the time, suggesting … [Read more...]
Teen driver deaths reported up 19%
February 27, 2013 by 4 Comments
Teenage driver deaths are up 19 percent, a new study shows, suggesting that the fatality count for 16- and 17-year old drivers will increase for the second straight year. The Governors Highway Safety Association statistics compared the first halves of 2011 and 2012. (Annual accident reports typically lag well behind the end of the year.) The group said that if final data continued the trend, then 2012 would follow 2011 in posting an increase in teen driver deaths. Before 2011, there were eight straight years of decreases. The GHSA did not indicate distracted driving was a suspect in the … [Read more...]
DOT chief LaHood leaving post
January 29, 2013 by 3 Comments
Distracted driving fighter Ray LaHood is stepping down as secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. LaHood, a Republican, made the announcement in a memo to staffers Jan. 29, saying he would stay on until a successor is named. LaHood detailed a string of DOT achievements during his tenure, beginning with the efforts to curtail distracted driving: "We have put safety front and center with the Distracted Driving Initiative." In the memo to DOT staffers, LaHood wrote: "I've told President Obama, and I've told many of you, that this is the best job I've ever had." The president, also … [Read more...]
Reports: Distracted driving gets worse
January 26, 2013 by 1 Comment
Distracted driving continues to increase in the U.S. -- despite new laws, widespread safety education and saturation media coverage -- several new reports suggest. "Most Americans believe this problem is becoming worse," said Peter Kissinger, president of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which surveyed almost 4,000 motorists for its Traffic Safety Culture Index. Researchers in California report that electronic distracted driving doubled in the state from 2011 to 2012, citing a "substantial and dramatic" increase in use of handheld electronics. Smartphone sales grew about 45 … [Read more...]
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