DOT, FCC launch partnership to reduce distracted driving

Today, Federal Communications Commission Chair Julius Genachowski and I announced a partnership to evaluate technology that may help curb the dangerous epidemic of distracted driving.

This DOT-FCC joint effort will also include outreach efforts to educate the public about the dangers of texting while driving, talking on cell phones while driving, and other distracting behavior that can lead to deadly accidents.

My position on this epidemic is clear:

We must put an end to distracted driving. It is costing us lives and inflicting injuries across the nation’s roads and railways. It's wrong, and I want to see it reduced.

It turns out that Chairman Genachowski is right there with me in this fight. At a Senate hearing last week, he said:

“Distracted driving endangers life and property and the current levels of injury and loss are unacceptable.  There’s no way around it--this is an urgent problem that simply must be addressed.”

So, I'm not at all shy about working with Chairman Genachowski and leveraging DOT and FCC combined expertise on technology. Safe driving is in our wheelhouse, communications technology theirs. Teaming up just makes sense.

And Chairman Genachowski agrees:

“I welcome this collaborative effort to eliminate the increasingly deadly practice of distracted driving.  Changing this ingrained behavior will require us to develop creative solutions using both technology and education.  By combining the resources and expertise of the DOT and the FCC, I am confident that we can have a major impact on this problem.”

Here's how it will work--officials from DOT and FCC will:

1. Establish a joint task force to evaluate technology-based solutions to the problem of distracted driving; and
2. Coordinate consumer outreach and education.

I have said that we really need to change behavior so that distracted driving feels just as wrong as driving without a seat belt or drunk driving. But, technological approaches to curbing this dangerous practice can also help. Just as action by the States can help.

With 6,000 traffic fatalities last year attributable to distracted driving, we cannot afford to ignore any viable avenues to increased safety.

Working together, DOT and FCC hope to achieve greater gains in making our rails and roadways safer. I thank Chairman Genachowski for his commitment, and I look forward to a successful interagency partnership.

Comments

[Earl Newman]

A significant number of persons driving on our roadways suffer from sleep depravation or sleeping disorders. The efforts to reduce distracted driving also need to address this issue.

[Jean Milam]

Suggest it is mandatory that all vehicles have a "governor" (called this in the last century when I took driver's education in high school). While driving through Maryland with various speed limits, e.g. school zones, neighborhoods, etc., I continually view the speedometer to avoid driving above the posted limit--removing my eyes from the road. The "governor" can be set to the specified limit and will beep when driving above the limit.

[mydealcracker]

I can not tell you how much I appreciate your passion for this cause. There are two many lives lost, too many injuries from these sense less acts. Latest stats have shown that teenagers are mostly responsible a lot of accidents due to driving while texting. Stiffer penalties must be handed out to teens.

[Michael E. Bailey]

This is something that has been needed. It would be great if cell phones would be equipped so they could deterime if they were in a moving environment at the spped of a car on a road or highway and they would'nt come on until the car stopped and would shut off when the car started up again. There are still a few people I see once ina while still driving and using a cell phone at the same time eventhough we have a state law against doing that and you can get a ticket if you are seen by a police officer. Technology will be a a major help. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Curt]

I agree wholeheartedly. While education and enforcement are vitally necessary...the third component is key. That key is utilizing technology as the solution to a technological problem. ScreenSafe is a software program to blank the laptop screen when the vehicle is in motion. ZoomSafer does the same for cell phones. So right now, today, there are 2 products that will solve 90% of the technological distractions out there