All cell phone use by all commercial drivers should be prohibited, the NTSB has recommended. National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Deborah Hersman called tractor-trailer rigs "80,000-pound unguided missiles" when their drivers are distracted by cell phone use. The U.S. Department of Transportation already is working on a plan to prohibit interstate commercial truck and bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones. Text messaging by interstate truckers already is prohibited. The NTSB pointed to a horrific 2010 crash near Munfordville, Ky., in which the driver of an 18-wheeler … [Read more...]
DOT vs. GHSA on cell bans
July 12, 2011 by 2 Comments
Days after a group of state highway safety officials urged a halt to new handheld cell phone legislation, the federal DOT is out with its own study indicating that distracted driving bans can indeed work. The U.S. Transportation Department said July 11 that two local crackdowns on handheld cell phone use and text messaging while driving -- in Syracuse, N.Y., and Hartford, Ct. -- resulted in significant drops in those distracted driving behaviors. "It is crystal clear that those who try to minimize this dangerous behavior are making a serious error in judgment, especially when half a … [Read more...]
BMW drives home texting & driving threat
June 3, 2011 by 1 Comment
BMW has made good on its promise to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that'll help get out the word about the dangers of distracted driving. Below find one of the distracted driving video PSAs created by BMW as part of its campaign "Don't TXT & Drive -- When the Engine Starts the Texting Stops." The German automaker and Department of Transportation chief Ray LaHood made nice in December, as concerns were mounting over interactive communications systems being placed in vehicles. The latest "Don't TXT & Drive" campaign grew out of that meeting. LaHood, meanwhile, gave the Wall Street … [Read more...]
Illinois summit hears success story
April 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Citing a "tremendous grassroots groundswell against distracted driving," DOT chief Ray La Hood opened the Illinois Distracted Driving Summit on a bullish note. "I can’t think of another safety issue in American history that’s gained so much traction in such a short period of time," LaHood said at the April 21 distracted driving conference, sponsored by the safety advocate group FocusDriven and the National Safety Council. LaHood cited: A boost from the entertainment industry, with Justin Bieber, Emma Roberts and Jordin Sparks spending their time and money on distracted driving prevention. … [Read more...]
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