U.S. teenagers' most dangerous move behind the wheel? Not speeding, not drinking, not racing. It's simply driving after dark, according to a new study of highway fatalities. From 1999 to 2008, the proportion of fatal crashes at night involving teen drivers increased 10 percent, according to a study released May 6 by the Texas Transportation Institute. Fatalities involving all drivers fell during those 10 years. Most of the blame for the teen spike should go to use of cell phones and texting devices, researchers speculate. "We know driving at night is dangerous," said Bernie Fette of the … [Read more...]
NSC looks inside ‘distracted brain’
March 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Drivers talking on cell phones often enter a state of "inattention blindness" in which they fail to see up to 50 percent of what's ahead of them, according to a new report from the National Safety Council. The NSC once again makes the case against driving and using cell phones -- including those with hands-free devices -- this time backed by about 30 research studies. The NSC estimates that 25 percent of the U.S. crashes in 2008 involved cell phone use. "Driver distractions have joined alcohol and speeding as leading factors in fatal and serious injury crashes," the NSC said. The white … [Read more...]
Distracted driving an epidemic, summit told
September 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment
"Distracted driving is a menace to society," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Wednesday as he opened the federal summit on text messaging, cell phoning and other forms of dangerous behaviors behind the wheel. The government was ready with the statistical evidence: 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured in 2008 in which distracted driving was a factor. Sixteen percent of fatal crashes had the link, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found. "Distracted driving is an epidemic and it seems to be getting worse every year," LaHood told his audience of experts on … [Read more...]
Wide support for bans on texting, driving
September 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment
About 80 percent of Americans favor bans on text messaging while driving, according to a new poll on distracted driving habits. A majority of those polled would like to see laws restricting all types of cell phone use behind the wheel -- regardless of whether a hands-free device is employed. The Nationwide Insurance poll on cell phones and text messaging by drivers, conducted in early August, surveyed more than 1,000 adults nationwide. It was conducted independently, by Harris Interactive. Almost two-thirds of the respondents backed some controls on cell phone use by drivers. Three-fourths … [Read more...]
Trucks, texting a deadly mix
July 28, 2009 by 1 Comment
A study of professional truckers indicates that even pros are severely handicapped while text messaging behind the wheel. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute's study found that the truckers were 23 times more likely to get in a wreck while texting. The researchers placed video cameras in the cabs of long-haul trucks over a year and a half period. About 100 truck drivers participated. In the collisions recorded by the cameras, drivers typically looked at their text messaging devices for five seconds before the accident, the New York Times said in reporting on the Virginia Tech texting … [Read more...]
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