Archive for June, 2012
P&A Applauds LaHood on “Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving
We all know better.
A recent telephone survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that 90 percent of respondents considered a driver reading or sending texts and emails to be very unsafe. At the same time, respondents admitted to few circumstances when they themselves would not text or use their phone while driving. Perhaps that explains why in 2010, at least 3,092 people were killed due to distracted driving. That’s one in every 10 fatalities on America’s roads.
Those statistics were noted last week in Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s press release announcing the launch of his “Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving.” Among its efforts, the new plan encourages the 11 states without distracted driving laws to get them on the books, asks the auto industry to develop safety standards to ensure devices don’t cause distraction behind the wheel, and provides educational material to young drivers, who are most likely to engage in distracted driving.
More information on this effort and others can be found on www.distraction.gov.
The issue of distracted driving has become one of the great public health and safety concerns of our time. We are proud that Secretary LaHood has thrown down the gauntlet. Let’s all rise to the challenge.
