Following The New York Times series on driver distraction and Obama’s October 1st Executive Order forbidding federal employees from texting while driving federal vehicles, the federal government has launched a website exclusively dedicated to raising drivers’ awareness of the serious dangers of distracted driving: distraction.gov.
Compelling research reveals that drivers using a cell phone reduces the driver’s focus on driving by 37%. Approximately 6,000 people died in collisions arising out of distracted driving. While other activities in the car (e.g., applying make-up, shaving, etc.) may cause greater distraction, cell phone distraction occurs more frequently and thus causes more collisions.
Currently only 19 states ban texting while driving, and even less ban talking on the cell phone. The type of banned cell phone activity, outlined per state, is available at: Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
The U.S. government launched a video on December 23, 2009, with the head of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Ray LaHood, expressing the dangers of distracted driving. The tone of the video is markedly different from the United Kingdom’s video warning teenagers of the serious risks of texting while driving. Warning: the public service announcement was created by the Gwent Police Department in Whales to warn teenagers of the grave risk of texting while driving. The video is of actors simulating a serious, multiple car collision. There is some graphic footage. The video can be found here.
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