About 13 percent of California drivers are busy using cell phones while behind the wheel -- up from almost 10 percent in 2015 -- a state study suggests. Almost 8 percent of the state motorists were deemed to be driving distracted due to electronic device use, up from 5.4 percent. The state Office of Traffic Safety called the results of its sixth annual observational study "discouraging, but not totally unexpected." "Typing" and "posting" by drivers were up almost a third in the 2016 study, although "nearly all types of usage were up." The report -- "Observational Survey of Cell … [Read more...]
Book targets ‘phony traffic laws’
June 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Al Cinamon is a frequent commenter on this web site. He maintains that our current crop of traffic laws is phony. They actually encourage distracted driving, he says. Now Cinamon has published his opinions in the book "What You Don't Know About Driving Can Get You Killed!" Cinamon, a driving instructor for more than 50 years, says the book targets "fables and fairy tales." The book is an exposé divided into two parts: Part 1 deals with "phony traffic laws that can get you killed" and Part 2 reveals "bad driving habits that can get you killed." In Part 1, he attacks the cell-phone and … [Read more...]
AAA: Driver use of cell phones widespread
February 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
About 70 percent of U.S. drivers confess to recently using a cell phone while behind the wheel, a new survey suggests. About 1 in 3 of drivers say they use the cell phones "fairly often or regularly," according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The group cited a "culture of indifference" toward unsafe driving behaviors. Just over 42 percent of the drivers self-reported reading a text or email while driving within the past 30 days. Nearly 1 in 3 admitted to typing or sending a text or email, the AAA report says. An overwhelming number of the drivers said, nonetheless, that … [Read more...]
Survey: Distractions still on the rise
December 8, 2015 by 1 Comment
Drivers continue to reduce their use of handheld cell phones for talking, while text messaging is on the rise, according to a nationwide survey. The annual survey sponsored by State Farm also found year-to-year increases in usage of the Internet and, specifically, social network web sites. Among drivers 18-29, however, increases in electronic communications activity were found from 2014 to 2015 in cell phone talking, texting, GPS programming, the Internet and social media. "Younger age groups perceive many of these behaviors as less distracting and report being more likely to … [Read more...]
‘Text walking’ lanes lead nowhere in Antwerp
June 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
A major mobile phone repairer in Antwerp, Belgium, scored global publicity with establishment of some "text-walking lanes" in the city. The idea was to avoid "collisions with poles or other pedestrians" -- and maybe even save the life of a clueless text-walker. Local government wasn't on board, though, and the company, Mlab, has since admitted its distracted-talking lanes were a marketing gimmick. The lanes reportedly have since been removed as illegal graffiti and the company was fined for mucking about with the social order. Mlab explained its project in Antwerp thusly: Everyone … [Read more...]
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