Gov’t seeks state anti-distracted driving laws
WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the Obama administration will pursue new federal rules that could ban text messaging by truck and interstate bus drivers and urge states to pass laws against distracted driving.
LaHood noted that President Barack Obama signed an executive order late Wednesday banning all federal workers from texting while driving on government business, using government vehicles or government equipment.
The government offered recommendations to address a growing epidemic of drivers using cell phones, mobile devices and other items from behind the wheel. Officials told participants at a two-day meeting that distracted driving killed nearly 6,000 people last year.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Determined to stop people from texting while driving, the Obama administration plans a campaign similar to past government efforts to discourage drunken driving and encourage the use of seat belts.
The administration planned to offer recommendations Thursday to address the growing safety risk of distracted drivers, especially the use of mobile devices to send messages from behind the wheel.
“We can really eliminate texting while driving. That should be our goal,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, declining to provide specifics of the recommendations.
Researchers, safety groups, automakers and lawmakers gathered for a second day to discuss the perils of distracted driving, hearing government data that underscored the safety threat as more motorists stay connected with cell phones and mobile devices.
“It’s like driving with your eyes closed,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., a proponent of a texting ban.
The Transportation Department reported that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million were injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, often by mobile devices and cell phones.
LaHood called distracted driving a “menace to society” and said the administration would offer a series of recommendations Thursday to encourage Congress, state governments and the public to curb the unsafe behavior. He said the government would draw from past efforts to reduce drunken driving and encourage motorists to wear seat belts.
Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said support was building in Congress to ban text messaging by drivers. Their legislation would require states to ban texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle or lose 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding.
“No text message is so urgent that it’s worth dying over,” Klobuchar told participants.
The government reported that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured last year in crashes where at least one form of driver distraction was reported. Driver distraction was involved in 16 percent of all fatal crashes in 2008 and was prevalent among young drivers.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have passed laws making texting while driving illegal and seven states and the District have banned driving while talking on a handheld cell phone, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Many safety groups have urged a nationwide ban on using handheld mobile devices while behind the wheel.
The conference attracted families of victims of accidents caused by distracted driving, who urged the government to take a strong stance against cell phone use in vehicles, whether it includes a hands-free device or not. They suggested technologies that prevent the mobile device from receiving e-mails or phone calls while the vehicle is in motion could help address the problem.
“We started driving cars about 100 years ago. We started using phones about 80 years ago. We’ve only really combined those two activities to a great degree in the last five or 10 years. We’re finding out they don’t mix,” said David Teater of Spring Lake, Mich., whose 12-year-old son, Joe, was killed in a 2004 crash when a driver using a cell phone ran a red light.
Some researchers cautioned that banning all cell phone use by drivers would undermine the development of safety technologies that could allow vehicles to share traffic information with other vehicles and alert emergency responders to crashes.
“You have to be really careful about unintended consequences of just saying we need a complete, total cell phone ban,” said Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
Industry officials said a broad public awareness campaign was needed because of people’s penchant for staying connected with the office and loved ones at all times.
On the Net:
Distracted Driving Summit: tinyurl.com/ncozgx
State laws on cell phones, driving: tinyurl.com/5k5bwy
Related News
Nevada puts troopers in big-rig trucks to spot dangerous drivers in enforcement pushSeptember 30th, 2009 Nevada troopers in trucks spot dangerous driversRENO, Nev. — Watch out for those big rigs on Nevada highways — a state trooper may be riding shotgun and ready to nab motorists who cut off the tractor-trailers.
Feds weigh whether bus, truck drivers should have to hang up their cell phones when drivingSeptember 24th, 2009 Feds weigh cell phone ban for bus, truck driversWASHINGTON — Safety investigators told federal regulators three years ago that it was dangerous for bus drivers to talk on cell phones while driving, and recommended a ban. The National Transportation Safety Board put that recommendation on its list of most important safety measures.
Obama's pick of trucking lobbyist to head safety agency that regulates the industry draws fireSeptember 23rd, 2009 Obama's pick of industry lobbyist draws fireWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's nomination of a trucking industry lobbyist to head the agency that regulates the industry drew fire Wednesday from senators and safety advocates. Anne Ferro, the president and CEO of the Maryland Motor Truck Association for the past six years, was named to head the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a troubled agency that has been widely criticized for allowing safety recommendations to languish for years without action.
Federal safety board says its employees can't text or talk on cell phones while drivingSeptember 8th, 2009 NTSB restricts employee cell-phone useWASHINGTON — The federal safety agency that investigates transportation accidents is banning texting and talking on cell phones by its employees while driving on government business. National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman said Tuesday she's adopting the policy because she wants her agency to follow the same safety practices it recommends for others.
Graphic British safety video about dangers of texting and driving becomes global Internet hitSeptember 2nd, 2009 Graphic British safety video is an Internet hitLONDON — A graphic British public service announcement about the dangers of sending text messages while driving has become an Internet hit and sparked debate around the world. The Gwent police force in Wales said Wednesday that an excerpt from a video it made for use in schools has been viewed more than 6 million times on YouTube and other Web sites since it was posted last month.
Social media, text messaging could help families communicate in disasters, safety group saysSeptember 1st, 2009 Twitter, texting could help families in disastersWASHINGTON — Text messaging, Twitter and social networking Web sites could help families stay in touch in the wake of a disaster, a national safety group said Tuesday. The Safe America Foundation announced a campaign to train families about alternate ways of staying in touch if traditional communication methods are not working.
In reversal, highway safety association supports state laws against texting behind the wheelAugust 31st, 2009 Governors Highway Safety Assoc. backs texting banSAVANNAH, Ga.
Abductors known to victims in most kidnappings: Delhi Police chiefAugust 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In an emerging trend, over 90 percent kidnappings in the capital were done by people known to the victims, Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal said Wednesday.
Police in Detroit chase stolen truck that crashes and explodes, killing 1 and injuring 2August 13th, 2009 1 killed, 2 injured in Detroit police chaseDETROIT — The driver of a stolen pickup truck fleeing police died in a fiery crash Thursday morning after the truck collided with a minivan, another truck and a utility pole and burst into flames, authorities said. The two other drivers suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene, said Michigan State Police Trooper John Gora.
NC gov. bans text-messaging by motorists, gets word out by texting: 'Hope u r not driving now'June 20th, 2009 NC gov. warns texters: 'Hope u r not driving now'RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina has become the seventh state to pass a ban this year on texting while driving.
State Department signs up 20k people who wanted text messages about Obama's Cairo speechJune 6th, 2009 20K people outside US got Obama speech textsWASHINGTON — More than 20,000 people outside the U.S. received free text messages about President Barack Obama's speech to Muslims in Cairo, Egypt.
Don't SMS whl drvng, it can hv ddly rsltMay 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Sending text messages while driving can be dangerous, a perception that has now been borne out by the latest study. Twenty-one teens using a driving simulator while sending text messages or searching their MP3s slowed down, wove in and out of their lanes, and, in some cases, ran over pedestrians.
It's 4 a.m. _ do you know where your text messages are? Boost subscribers report big delaysApril 30th, 2009 Texting delays mar popularity of $50 Boost planNEW YORK — A new $50 unlimited-calling plan sold under the Boost brand has been a badly needed success story for Sprint Nextel Corp., luring hundreds of thousands of new customers, by industry estimates. But dealers and customers report widespread problems with texting on the Boost network.
Pair punch out 217,000 text messages in a month in attempt to break recordApril 22nd, 2009 Record attempt reaps 217K texts, $26K phone billPHILADELPHIA — Their thumbs sure must be sore. Two central Pennsylvania friends spent most of March in a text-messaging record attempt, exchanging a thumbs-flying total of 217,000.
Nubile women more expressive in texting messages than menFebruary 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Eligible women were found to be more expressive than men in texting messages, thanks to technology. Indiana University (IU) researchers found that when men and women exchange text message in a public, interactive dating market, it is the women who use more non-standard, expressive language techniques.
Loading ...