Distracted Drivers

What do Oprah, the Department of Transportation, the Triple A, insurance companies and, state governors have in common? The US Department of Transportation just offered a plan to ban text messaging while driving by interstate truck and bus drivers. This regulatory action follows up on its call to mitigate distractions that lead to crashes. The plan would replace an interim ban put in place in January by the Transportation Secretary. The proposed ban applies to drivers of passenger buses and commercial trucks operating vehicles weighing more than five tons. As an indication of the scope of the issue, violators could face civil penalties and/or even criminal penalties. The United States Department of Transportation reported that 5,870 people were killed and over a half million were injured in 2008 in crashes connected to driver distraction. The department has not determined how many of those deaths and injuries involved an electronic device. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration echoes the Transportation Department estimates with an estimate that around eighty percent of accidents are caused by distracted drivers. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is funding research to determine the extent of the distracted driver issue. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reports that driver inattention is a determining factor in many crashes, and cell phone use and sending text messages are leading causes of driver distractions. States aren’t waiting for data and are enacting new laws dealing with mobile phone use and texting . The Governors Highway Safety Association reports that twenty states and Washington DC prohibit drivers of all types of vehicles from texting when behind the wheel. An additional nine states prohibiting texting by beginner drivers. The remaining states are expected to implement the ban before too long. However it is also widely recognized that the laws are not enough to stop the problem and technology is required. The GHSA purports to say it supports texting bans for all drivers, but does have concerns about enforcement. The trucking and passenger bus industries support the texting prohibition, and many corporations have strict policies prohibiting sending text messages while driving. The government, industry and safety organizations all agree that distracted drivers caused bysending text messages is extremely dangerous, and deserves action. Advocates for addressing the problem also include media powerhouse Oprah. The issue is emerging as a new phenomenon. As navigation systems, cell phones and other mobile electronics have become ubiquitous in vehicles, safety advocates and the government have pushed for restrictions.