DOT gets new allies in fight against distracted driving

I'm pleased to report the DOT has two new allies in its fight to end distracted driving.

Yesterday, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Orthopaedic Trauma Association teamed up with boxing legend Smokin' Joe Frazier to launch "Decide to Drive." This national initiative includes a multimedia campaign, interactive website (www.decidetodrive.org), a school curriculum, and materials to help surgeons talk to their patients about the risks of distracted driving.

Orthopaedists are the doctors who have to put victims' bones and limbs back together after a crash, and very few people are more familiar with the tragedy distracted driving causes than these surgeons. 

AAOS released results of a survey indicating that 94 percent of adult drivers in America believe distracted driving is a problem in the U.S.  Yet, 20 percent of those drivers thought their own driving skills were good enough to text or talk on the phone safely, despite the evidence against such claims.  And none of the 1,500 respondents--not one--reported their own driving as unsafe.

That is a large--and dangerous--disconnect that calls for greater public awareness campaigns like "Decide To Drive."

I'm sure we can all agree that fighting distracted driving will require us to to instill safe driving habits early. And one youngster in Connecticut, Nina Pezzello, a third-grader at Oswegatchie Elementary School, is already working to help make a difference.

In January, Nina heard about the family of 17-year-old Alex Brown while watching ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  Alex was killed in 2009 when she crashed her truck on a rural road while she was texting behind the wheel.

Nina felt a bond with Alex's 12-year-old sister, Katrina, who was left abruptly without her big sister.  She began spreading the word and collecting pledges from drivers to not text and drive.  Targeting teen drivers, she has set up a table at high school basketball games and swim meets, Prom Fest at a local mall, and a nearby auto dealership.

Connecticut Lt. Governor Wyman signs Nina's pledge as Nina looks on

Nina's goal is wonderfully simple, and she is savvy way beyond her eight years. "I want to help save lives," she says.  "I'm telling people to read my pledge and make the commitment--not just sign it because I'm asking them to.  Sign it because you mean it, not because I'm cute!"

America's orthopaedic surgeons and Connecticut's Nina Pezzello join a long list of people and organizations, including Consumer Reports, AARP, Jordin Sparks and Justin Bieber, who are doing some impressively heavy lifting to help end distracted driving.

And we can't thank them enough for their support.

Comments

[Lawrence C. Hartung CDS CDT]

How can someone possible think that they are above distracted driving! Anyone who regularly operates a motor vehicle has to have witnessed their own distracted driving. I have found that even with hands-free blue tooth technology that the phone converstaion is distracting, you can't help but to pay more attention to the phone conversation that your driving! To text while driving should be considered criminal, and severly delt with!I have driven vehicles of all clases for over 46 yrs, and never have I witnessed the extent of distrated driving as is now apparant. This a serious problem that needs to be delt with severly!

[Ohio Quotes]

Joe is a great choice! Great name recognition and I wouldn't want to mess with him!

[Michael E. Bailey]

U.S. roads are the best they have ever been in terms of safety, but there is still more to do. One of the big things is to keep up the public education program against distracted driving. Technology can also play a role. There could be some type of interactive technology between the car and the cell phone that would not allow the phone to operate if the car is in motion and to do this without damaging the phone. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Jennifer Brampton]

I have to be honest, I was surprised - almost shocked - to discover that is not illegal to text while driving in most states. I am not sure if you are aware of this, but sending a text message while driving was outlawed some time ago here in Australia. I am not for heavy government regulation on all issues, but this one seems too important to ignore.

[sLpEeNaA]

Distracted Driving has become a prevalent cause of deaths on the roads. If there are state laws in place against drinking and driving, then why are there none, or very few, for texting/talking on the phone and driving?
According to a study done by the University of Utah, “using a cell phone use while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (http://www.distraction.gov/stats-and-facts/)
Although many people believe that they are proficient drivers and “texters”, many do not realize that combining the two increases the chance that the driver is “four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.” (http://www.distraction.gov/stats-and-facts/) Along with that, “20 % of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA).Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashed, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes). (NHTSA)” These are large enough statistics to cause a worry.
I am glad to see that there is a program that is finally being put into place for both students and parents. No matter how many times parents tell their kids not to text/talk and drive, the simple phrase may go unnoticed. I believe that the education has to start out at a young age and also be promoted by the students for the students. I also believe that it may be a good idea to start each school year with a similar pledge to that of Nina Pezzello, and for the school to keep their students accountable to that pledge. My school had a no cell phone policy within the school, but I think that it should extend to the parking lots where people drive, walk unaware while texting/talking on the phones, hang out before and after school. The schools should not be the only ones in this battle against distracted driving; likewise, communities and states should work on passing ordinances and laws against distracted driving.