Horrified by the findings of its probe of a fatal text messaging crash, the NTSB has come out in favor of a nationwide ban on the use of portable handheld electronic devices by drivers. "It is time for all of us to stand up for safety by turning off electronic devices when driving," NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman said at a Dec. 13 hearing on the 2010 multi-vehicle wreck. "How many more lives will be lost before we, as a society, change our attitudes about the deadliness of distractions?" Electronic distracted driving "is becoming the new DUI," board member Robert Sumwalt said. "It's becoming … [Read more...]
3,092 die in distraction crashes
December 8, 2011 by 2 Comments
The good news is good indeed: In 2010, U.S. traffic fatalities and injuries reached their lowest numbers since 1949. Another reason for optimism, it might seem: 3,092 people died in accidents connected with distracted driving, down significantly from 2009's 5,474 fatalities. But the bad news lurks in the detail, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its method of tracking distracted driving accidents. "All of our evidence suggests that the problem may actually be getting worse," says federal DOT chief Ray LaHood (pictured). The explanation: "We've narrowed the … [Read more...]
Calif. safety enemy No. 1: cell phones
December 5, 2011 by 3 Comments
Cell phone use while driving has become the No. 1 safety problem on California roads and highways, a new survey of state motorists says. Close behind came texting while driving. Combined, cell phoning and text messaging drew almost 40 percent of the responses. Both problems individually outweighed last year's main concern, "speeding and aggressive driving," according to the second-annual survey by the California Office of Traffic Safety. Texting soared in mentions as the biggest danger, going from last year's 2 percent to 18 percent. When asked to name the most serious distraction for … [Read more...]
N.Y. texting law no turkey
December 2, 2011 by 1 Comment
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's state police feasted on text-messaging violations over the Thanksgiving holiday, handing out 816 tickets. "The more than 800 tickets issued in just five days further demonstrates the need for these stricter laws which focus on drivers who put others at risk by illegally using a hand-held device," the New York governor said after the ticket tally. The statewide distracted driving sweep "Operation Hang-Up" ran Nov. 23-27. State Police said about 330 of the texting tickets came as a result of that crackdown. The other ticketing came via regular enforcement of the state's … [Read more...]
Court: Cell phone law covers stops
November 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
California's law against use of handheld cell phones while driving applies when vehicles are stopped at traffic lights, an appeals court has ruled. While the Legislature didn't specifically address use of handheld electronics at stop lights, the First District Court of Appeal ruled Nov. 14 that the statute writers' intent was to include vehicles on public roadways that are paused momentarily to obey traffic laws. The judges cited "significant and numerous public safety hazards that likely would result" if they agreed with the defendant's claim that the distracted driving laws did not apply … [Read more...]
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