It doesn't have to be 2 AM anymore to see drivers weaving from one side of the lane to the other. It is tough to make a trip anywhere without seeing someone behind the wheel talking or texting on a cell phone.
In September of 2008 a California train collision killed 25, and it was determined that the engineer had received a text one minute before the crash, most likely causing him to miss a crucial signal.
Alexandria Brown was texting while driving to school in Texas. When she lost control of her vehicle, she was thrown and killed immediately.
Another example
These are just a few of the ___ deaths attributed to texting and driving.
The US Department of Transportation has set guidelines prohibiting drivers of commercial vehicles from texting while driving. This applies to buses, delivery vehicles and long-haul trucks. Violators can be fined up to $2,750.
Florida legislators have nearly passed a bill to prohibit texting while driving. As of last week, 29 (?) other states have passed similar legislation. Most states have made it a secondary offense, requiring another offense in order to ticket for texting. There are efforts around the country to make this distraction a primary offense. Fines in Florida would range from ____ to ____.
Virginia Tech Transportation Institue's (VTTI) studies have documented that texting takes the driver's eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds texting. At 55 mph, the average texter travels the length of a football field including enzones without looking at the road ahead.
The NHTSA has stated that due to a driver's mental inattention to the road, even hands-free cell phone conversations are statistically as hazardous as drunk driving. A University of Utah driving simulator study confirmed that reaction times of cell phone users were worse than those of intoxicated drivers. Many refute this finding, arguing that when drivers keep their eyes on the road, the risk is minimized. The VTTI studies found that in an actual driving situations, cell phone conversations were not nearly as risky as texting. Even so, the risk when reaching for or dialing a cell phone has been calculated at 2.8 to nearly 7 times as high as attentive driving.
Car and Driver Magazine conducted a study on a closed course, testing the effects of drinking, texting and reading email on braking distance. Cars were equipped with a red light, mounted above the steering wheel. Drivers were instructed to come to a complete stop when the light came on. At ___ mph, normal stopping distance was _____ feet. Intoxicated drivers needed an additional 4 feet to stop. Drivers reading email averaged ___ additional feet. Texting drivers needed an additional 70 feet to come to a complete stop.
Apps: drivesafe.ly Vlingo (iPhone) testArrest (family and business monitoring and cell phone disabling) zoomsafer.com for Blackberry or Windows Mobile phones, purchase for $3 a month or $25 one time. different methods
Find more information at NSC.org, select Safety on the Road, then Distracted Driving. Distraction.gov is another good resource, and for teens visit DoSomething.org or ThumbWars.com.
http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Pages/distracted_driving.aspx
Key Research
Distracted driving includes what else?
Secondary offense, fine ____
If it becomes law, it will be in effect in late 2011
Passed in the House H41, Holder
Senate bill expected to pass, Nancy Detert
Legislation
US Secretary of Transportation has directed that drivers of commercial vehicles will be subject to penalties for texting while driving.
Texting takes the driver's eyes off the road for ____ seconds
how long to drive 100 yards at 55mph
car and driver magazine. Distance to stop when red light came on. Drunk driving added 4 feet, texting added 70 ft. cnbc.com Phil LeBeau
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Federal Ban on Texting for Commercial Truck Drivers
U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced federal guidance to expressly prohibit texting by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses. The prohibition is effective immediately and is the latest in a series of actions taken by the Department to combat distracted driving since the Secretary convened a national summit on the issue last September.
“We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe,” said Secretary LaHood. “This is an important safety step and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving.”
The action is the result of the Department’s interpretation of standing rules. Truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.
"Our regulations will help prevent unsafe activity within the cab,” said Anne Ferro, Administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). “We want to make it crystal clear to operators and their employers that texting while driving is the type of unsafe activity that these regulations are intended to prohibit."
FMCSA research shows that drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. At 55 miles per hour, this means that the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road. Drivers who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than non-distracted drivers.
By friendlycomputers
