Born of personal tragedies, a group that fights the use of cell phones while driving has been launched with the help of the National Safety Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation. FocusDriven describes itself as "an advocacy group for victims of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers using cell phones." The founders (pictured) all lost family members to crashes caused by drivers who were distracted by their cell phones. The group's mission recalls that of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. They include president Jennifer Smith, who lost her mother to a distracted driver in Oklahoma … [Read more...]
New year, new distracted driving laws
January 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment
A handful of distracted driving laws went into effect on Jan. 1, 2010, seeking to rein in drivers who yap on cell phones and send text messages while behind the wheel. The vast majority of distracted driving legislation went nowhere in 2009 -- surprising for a year in which so much publicity was generated over the issue -- but a handful of states got past the debates and took their safety concerns to the streets. The focus now moves from the legislatures to the law enforcement agencies, where enforcement could be spotty. In Illinois, text messaging is now illegal for all drivers. Fines are … [Read more...]
S.C. proposal: text & drive, go to prison
November 18, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The nation's toughest sanctions against driving and text messaging have been proposed in South Carolina. House Bill 4189 calls for fines of up to $2,500, two months in jail and a driver's license suspension. And that's for the first offense. A driver who kills someone while text messaging is looking at 25 years in prison. The legislation would also allow law officers to seize and inspect a driver's cell phone to if he or she was texting while driving when they were stopped. That provision, no doubt, would face opposition from civil liberties advocates. Rep. Don Bowen, R-Anderson, on … [Read more...]
DOT adds ‘distracted flying’ to probe
October 29, 2009 by 1 Comment
"Distracted flying" is now under investigation by the Transportation Department, following news of two Northwest Airline pilots who overshot the Minneapolis airport by 150 miles, apparently while using their using laptop computers. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has widened his department's initiatives to "distractions as they apply beyond cars — to rail, buses, and now, planes," a spokesman told the Associated Press on Oct. 28. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., called the incident “the ultimate case of distracted driving — only this time it was distracted flying.” The two pilots, whose … [Read more...]
Ontario cell phone, texting ban begins
October 26, 2009 by 2 Comments
Ontario's law banning the use of handheld electronic devices by drivers is now in effect. Enforcement of the province-wide ban started Monday, but the fines that could sap violators of $500 (CAN) won't kick in until Feb. 1, 2010. "This law is about keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel," Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said at a news conference in Toronto on Monday. "We need to prevent these unnecessary road accidents and I believe this law will do just that." Drivers may continue to use cell phones if a hands-free device such as a Bluetooth headset is … [Read more...]
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