New Year begins with Distracted Driving on the media, legislative radar

As the new year begins, I'm happy to see our new Distracted Driving PSA reaching the nation's viewers. I'm also happy to read that state legislatures are going to be busy working on bills to help prevent distracted driving.

As Matt Richtel reported over the weekend, "Lawmakers have already proposed 200 bills to curb distracted driving, and policy analysts expect to see dozens more in the coming months."

That's good news. But I won't check "End the epidemic of distracted driving" off my 2010 resolution list until residents of these states and others let their legislators know that talking on the phone and texting while driving are simply not safe and should be made illegal.

Arizona state legislator Steve Farley, a panelist at our Distracted Driving Summit, makes the right comparison when he tells the New York Times that getting people to "see distracted driving like we see drunk driving is the comparison we need to continue to make."

In its review of state laws that have gone into effect with the New Year, NBC reminds its viewers that only 19 states and the District of Columbia currently outlaw texting while driving.

Now, I'd like to leave this up to the states because historically they do a pretty good job protecting their roadways and keeping their residents safe. But, as I told NBC, there are several bills in Congress right now that will do the job if the states don't act on their own.

Steve Farley has the right idea: we did this with drunk driving, we can do this with distracted driving.

For more media coverage of this deadly practice, please visit D!straction.gov our newest resource in the campaign for road safety.

Comments

[Michael Henderek]

Ending cell phone usage and texting on ourroadways is the fastest way to save 10,000 or more lives annually plus hundreds of thousand injuries. Think of the tragedy to families and the cost of all this to society.

[gift registry]

My sis says everytime she drives with her phone to her ear, she consistently gets yonked at by other cars, this makes her put down the phone more often.

[Michael E. Bailey]

The distracted driving issue has finally cought on for what it needs to be--something of life and death importance and as serious as drunk driving at causing accidents. I am pleasantly surprised that states in the south and in the west are taking this as a serious issue and not dismissing it out of hand like they have done with regulation of guns and ammunition. So this is a great beginning to 2010 on this issue. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[auto transport]

I do agree that talking on the phone while driving is distracting, but I thought that this issue was solved by using a head set!?
A whole bunch of people are using their cell phones for work while driving - Ex. truck drivers! Is the usage of head sets while driving considered illegal under the new Distracted Driving policy ?

[Robert Green]

Remember, these folks are driving at you. See www.survivethedrive.org

I recently had what turned into an argument with a college age woman who asserted that she was so good at texting that it couldn't possibly detract from her driving.

Anyone's visual, manual and cognitive abilities require focus. The "proximity to hazard" driving a car is often immediate, the consequence . . . just fall off a three story building. That'll hit you into the ground at 28 mph. You are the mouse in the tin can then, the car may not protect its occupants enough . . . but it isn't just you we're worried about. Just hit your thumb with a hammer,that's just a minor dose of kinetic error.

Selfish vanity, the use of intrusive electronic devices while driving.

[Don Schewe]

Two suggestions to prevent innocent people from being killed or injured in thier motor vehicles;

1. Allow us make citizen arrests when we see drivers cell phoning texting etc., and cutting us off and risking our lives. The actions can be traced back to thier phones etc., if they try to deny it. Call in their license plate #
2. Issue a public notice, to all cell phone callers or text sendors,THEY WILL RECEIVE THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW FOR SUCH ACTIONS. To prevent legal action when calling or texting,first ask the question to whom your calling, ARE YOU DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE?

[Robbert Summer]

Texting while driving is a major problem with teenagers. They is just so much of accidents on road because of this. I strongly recommend use of application like http://www.drivesafe.ly/ (it reads your emails and messages to you while you are driving) to all the people who can't resist texting on road. You should keep in mind that even if you think that you are a expert, you are not.

[Acai Berry]

Wonderful post... I am happy this ban will go into effect many states in 2010. We can't continue to endanger ourselves on the roads because we want to text while driving. Texting while driving should be considered a crime just like driving while under the influence... Driving under the influence(texting) should be a serious crime!

[Top Grade Acai]

Of course we have to try and stop people from driving distracted, but let's not take this too far. I mean, I should be able to eat and drive, or tune the radio and drive, or talk to a friend and drive. Nevertheless, certain things like texting and driving and talking on a cell phone and driving should definitely be banned. Let's not get too crazy about safety though, we have to make room for the next generation.

[animation clips]

there should be strong laws to prevent this after all this is not only dangerous for the driver but for others too.

[serial numbers]

That'll hit you into the ground at 28 mph. You are the mouse in the tin can then, the car may not protect its occupants enough . . .

[John]

I would welcome laws against talking on cell phones and texting while driving. I do a lot of driving and it is very irritating to be behind someone going 15 miles an hour under the speed limit because they can not talk and drive at the same time.

[hppb360]

I'm Glad Michigan implemented a new law against txtn while driving; i think it will save more lives. Hope Officers will enforce the law and people will see the dangers of texting while driving because a life saved could be yours

[Cure Panic Attacks Tim]

As if talking on the cell while driving wasn't bad enough, now texting?.....please.

[Mary]

I agree with Michael, car is not a place for cell phones

[IRS Tax Debt Settlement Guy]

I used to feel that talking on the phone was no different than listening to the radio while your driving but I've recently decided that's not the case.

It seems the degree of concentration needed to have a ,conversation, especially an intense one which many are Can be far more distracting than listening to the radio.

When you compound that by adding in that now you've probably got the telephone in one hand it gets worse. (And I'm not talking about texting.)

And if you think of it if you're in a real hurry sometime you find yourself needing at the same time you talking on the telephone so now with one in your eating, with the other you talking on the telephone and you still trying to control the car with one or both of those hands.

It sounds kind of comical but when you think about it there's nothing funny about it, it's extremely dangerous. I actually hope they outlaw it, or at least part of me does, for my own safety because I'll probably keep doing it until they do.

IRSTDG

[IRS Tax Debt Settlement Guy]

I was wondering, has anybody else changed their thinking in regards to cell phone use while driving? In other words did you used to think it was ok but have realized it's dangerous?

In Mass. as of yesterday it's illegal to text while you drive and if you're under 18 you can't use a phone at all!

IRSTDG

[Powerlifting Routines]

Last year in Huntington Beach we had a major problem with this and a 14 year old kid was killed. We really need to find a way to get it worked out.

[Recoveryfromastroke]

Thanks to Oprah and others for the no texting while driving campaign to help drive home the dangers.

[Snoring Solutions]

It appears their education of concentration needed to possess a ,conversation, especially a powerful the one that most are Could be much more annoying than hearing radio stations.

Whenever you compound that with the addition of for the reason that now you've most likely got the phone in a single hands it will get worse. (And I am not speaking about texting.)

And when you think about it if you are inside a real hurry sometime you are requiring simultaneously you speaking about the telephone now with one out of your eating, using the other you speaking about the telephone but you just attempting to control the vehicle with either of individuals hands.

It may sound type of comical however when you consider it there is nothing funny about this, it's very harmful. I really hope they outlaw it, or at best a part of me does, for my very own safety because I'll most likely carry on doing it until they are doing.