January 29

Text-and-Drive Bans Don't Matter, Study Finds - Text away at the wheel all you want; laws against it aren't effective, a highway safety study reveals. (NetworkWorld.com)

Talking on the phone is so 20th century -- texting is where it's at. And that's why loads of drivers take to the great open road smooshing their QWERTY with nimble thumbs. That sounds like the worst idea I've ever heard, and the U.S. government (mostly) agrees. As of January 2010, 19 states along with Washington, D.C., have banned texting while driving. But now the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) -- a project sponsored by insurance companies, of all entities -- claims that despite anti-texting-while-driving laws, crash rates are not affected. Wait, what?

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/012910-text-and-drive-bans-dont-matter-study.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2010-01-29

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January 04

Finally!! Check out http://www.distraction.gov/

 

From Engadget.com:

European countries may have long ago banished the use of cellphones while driving to the dark side of the law, but many of the United States persist in allowing their citizens to talk while driving. One reason for their reluctance may be that outlawing something that has become second nature to most people would be both unproductive and tough to enforce. So what do you do? The natural alternative to forcing people to drive attentively is educating them of the reasons why. Never mind the fact that we all kinda, sorta know the risks we undertake while operating a Droid and a Dodge concurrently. The newly minted Distraction.gov is chockfull of scaremongering statistics, topped by a truly epic video which we've handily stashed for you just after the break. Go get it while it's hot.

http://distraction.gov

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August 17

Wales produces exceptionally graphic, educational film about the dangers of texting while driving (Engadget.com)

There should be more videos/adverts like this spreading the word about driving and cellphone use be it texting, tweeting or chatting on the phone.  Handsfree is marginally safer for talking but there is nothing to make texting/tweeting safe behind the wheel.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/16/wales-produces-exceptionally-graphic-educational-film-about-the/

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Another great site to follow – Don’t TWEET and DRIVE

Check out http://www.donttwive.blogspot.com/

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August 09

(CNN) -- Illinois will become the 17th state on Thursday to ban texting while driving, a safety worry that has caught the attention of the federal government.

 

Gov. Pat Quinn will sign an amendment to the Illinois Vehicle Code that prohibits writing, sending or receiving text messages while driving, said the governor's spokeswoman, Marlena Jentz. The bill does make texting exceptions for drivers who pull over to text or shift their car into park or neutral to message while stopped in traffic.

Illinois will join a growing list of states looking to curb accidents linked to texting. Oregon and New Hampshire banned texting drivers in July, and Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia already have laws in place. Four U.S. senators announced their plan to push for a federal ban on July 29. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the Obama administration will convene a summit to discuss how it can end accidents caused by distracted drivers.

Despite the ongoing efforts to address the dangers of texting while driving, studies have not shown whether the laws affect accident rates, said Jonathan Adkins, communications director at the Governor's Highway Safety Association.

The nonprofit association comprised of appointees from each state's governor's office has closely followed the texting while driving saga. But Adkins said that because of several factors that potentially play a role in an accident, to know whether texting caused an accident would require a subpoena or an admission by the driver.

In New York and New Jersey, the impact has been measured by an increase in driving tickets, but too few states track that data, Adkins said.

"With drunk driving it was important to pass tough laws, but the laws won't really have any effect unless they're enforced and the public knows about it and it's properly adjudicated," said Barbara Harsha the association executive director. "So passing a law isn't the solution, it's only part of it."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/06/illinois.texting.ban/index.html

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