| Hands free access will allow anyone to text, call, and | | | | Richard Hanowski acknowledges that the numbers |
| email all with voice commands. This very innovative | | | | are likely to be different with car drivers. As reported |
| solution to the texting while driving dilemma needs to | | | | by CNET's Jennifer Guevin, the study also found that |
| be in the hands of anyone with a mobile device that is | | | | "texting took a driver's focus away from the road for |
| used for communication. Hands free access is safe, | | | | an average of 4.6 seconds--enough time...to travel the |
| simple and most of all cost effective. | | | | length of a football field at 55 mph." |
| January 26, 2010, the Transportation Department is | | | | Teens at biggest risk |
| announcing an immediate ban on text messaging by | | | | When it comes to texting while driving, teens are a |
| truck and bus drivers on the road with fines up to | | | | particular risk group considering that, according to |
| 2,750. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is | | | | Nielsen (PDF), "The average U.S. mobile teen now |
| moving full steam ahead to keep our roads and | | | | sends or receives an average of 2,899 |
| highways safe from the ever growing epidemic of | | | | text-messages per month" and apparently some of |
| texting while driving. Statistics show that an individual | | | | those texts are being sent and read from behind the |
| that is texting while driving can travel the length of an | | | | wheel. |
| entire football field in approximately 6 second while | | | | A 2007 study conducted by Triple A and Seventeen |
| driving 55 mph. As scary as it sounds to be driving as | | | | magazine has been widely misquoted as 46 percent |
| if your were blindfolded, you still see people putting all | | | | of teens admit to texting while driving. But what the |
| of our lives at risk on a daily basis by not being | | | | study found is that "61 percent of teens admit to risky |
| responsible enough to either waiting until they are | | | | driving habits." Forty-six percent of that 61 percent say |
| parked safely or by using hands-free technology. | | | | that they text message while driving. |
| I'm really not sure that we understand the gravity of | | | | This issue is in the news a bit more than usual these |
| the situation. I still see more and more of the problem | | | | days because of a shocking video created by a police |
| being discussed but not much being offered for | | | | department in the UK. It depicts a teenage girl texting |
| solutions by the main stream media. I guess solutions | | | | while driving followed by a terrible crash with |
| don't sell advertising. | | | | gruesome results for her friends in her car and the |
| One in four (26%) of American teens of driving age | | | | family whose car she hit. Before viewing the video |
| say they have texted while driving, and half (48%) of | | | | (scroll down) please be aware that it is graphic and |
| all teens ages 12 to 17 say they've been a passenger | | | | very disturbing. And before forwarding it to a teenager, |
| while a driver has texted behind the wheel. | | | | also be aware that many youth risk prevention |
| These findings are based on a new report from the | | | | specialists question the effectiveness of videos that |
| Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life | | | | try to use shock value to change teen behavior. |
| Project that looks at teens, mobile phones and | | | | As of this writing there are 18 states banning the use |
| distracted driving. The results were derived from a | | | | of mobile devices for talking and texting while |
| telephone survey of 800 teens' and parents' use of | | | | operating a motor vehicle. Compliance is a great thing, |
| mobile phones and 9 focus groups conducted in 4 U.S. | | | | but even if it is legal at the moment in your state, you |
| cities between June and October 2009 with teens | | | | may want to second guess the utilization of mobile |
| between the ages of 12 and 18. | | | | handheld devices while driving for life's sake, not just |
| "Many teens understand the risks of texting behind the | | | | the law. FDIVoice is a brand new tool that could |
| wheel," said Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research | | | | radically reduce the every-growing death toll due to |
| Specialist at the Internet & American Life Project | | | | mobile phone use abuse while driving. |
| and co-author of the distracted driving report, "but the | | | | "We're going to work with Congress on this issue," said |
| desire to stay connected is so strong for teens and | | | | LaHood, a former House member. "I've been around |
| their parents that safety sometimes takes a backseat | | | | long enough to know better than to talk about these |
| to staying in touch with friends and family." | | | | things before I talk with them." |
| "Cell phones are often seen as devices that can make | | | | Hands free access will put you in the driver's seat! |
| our lives more efficient, allowing us to multi-task in our | | | | Don't take risks! Be in full compliance with new hands |
| idle moments," said Mary Madden, Senior Research | | | | free driving laws that will be implemented in all 50 |
| Specialist and co-author of the report, "and whether | | | | states by performing all telecom, Email, and text |
| you're a teenager or an adult, it's tempting to think you | | | | functions without touching your phone! |
| can manage several different activities at once." | | | | The District and 18 states, including Maryland and |
| For every two seconds a driver's eyes are off the | | | | Virginia, have banned texting while driving to different |
| road, a motorist is twice as likely to be involved in a | | | | degrees. |
| crash, said Troy Green, national spokesman for Triple | | | | The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| A. | | | | has estimated that at any given moment during |
| "Texting while driving... requires your full attention and | | | | daylight hours, 812,000 drivers are using hand-held |
| leaves no room for distraction," Green said. "You'd | | | | cellphones. NHTSA said that equates to 11 percent of |
| have to be foolish at best and delusional at worst to | | | | the vehicles on the road. Previous research by the |
| think you can send and receive text messages while | | | | Harvard Center of Risk Analysis found that cellphone |
| operating a motor vehicle effectively and safely.... | | | | use contributed to 6 percent of all crashes, or 636,000 |
| We believe that's something that should be banned." | | | | a year, resulting in 342,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths. |
| Texting and cell phone use have been blamed for | | | | Based on Ashlei's comment below furthers my |
| numerous deadly crashes in the past few years. | | | | argument, that banning is only 1 part of the solution. We |
| A recently released study (PDF) by the VirginiaTech | | | | must provide a solid alternative, that will satisfy our |
| Transportation Institute found that truck drivers who | | | | need to communicate at any given moment. Let's just |
| were texting were 23 times more at risk of a "crash | | | | do it responsibly. "I don't think it'll stop people from |
| or near crash event" than "nondistracted driving." As | | | | texting," said Ashlei Smith, of Bourbonnais. Smith could |
| per talking on a cell phone, the same study found no | | | | say this in earnest because she had a car crash in |
| increased risk for truck drivers and 1.3 times the risk | | | | May while texting, but stated that she does not plan to |
| for car drivers. There was considerably more risk | | | | curb her texting. |
| associated with dialing while driving. The institute's | | | | |