Transportation Chief: Distracted Driving a 'Menace'

[Zoom-boing]

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called distracted driving a "menace to society" Wednesday, kicking off a two-day meeting on preventing drivers from using mobile devices behind the wheel.

The Obama administration reported that nearly 6,000 people in the U.S. were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, including drivers talking on cell phones and texting.

"To put it plainly, distracted driving is a menace to society," LaHood told more than 300 participants at the government's 'distracted driving summit.' "Distracted driving is an epidemic and it seems to be getting worse every year."

The Transportation Department brought together experts to take a hard look at the highway hazards caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting from behind the wheel. LaHood said he would offer recommendations Thursday that could lead to new restrictions on using the devices while driving.

Congress is watching closely. Sen. Charles Schumer and other Democrats introduced legislation in July that would require states to ban texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle or lose 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding. The Obama administration has not taken a position on the bill.

Prior to the meeting, LaHood said the administration would "work with Congress" to develop ways of curbing distracted driving. Ultimately, LaHood said, he wanted the meeting to set "the stage for finding ways to eliminate texting while driving."

Previous efforts to reduce drunken driving and encourage motorists to wear seat belts taught the government a "valuable lesson," LaHood said. "We need a combination of strong laws, tough enforcement and ongoing public education to make a difference."

Transportation officials said in a research report 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.

LaHood said on any given day last year, more than 800,000 vehicles were driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone during the day.

The panel of government officials, safety advocates, researchers and lawmakers discussed ways of developing a consensus on the roadway hazards. Speakers showed images of pulverized sport utility vehicles and sawed off commercial buses that had been driven by people using mobile devices before the crash.

Others noted the problem was not limited to cars and cited a commuter train engineer in California, who texted a friend and failed to stop at a red signal. Twenty-five people were killed in the September 2008 passenger rail crash.

Transportation Chief: Distracted Driving a 'Menace' - Political News - FOXNews.com


If they passed a "no cell phone usage of any kind while driving" law, I'd be fine with it. Would you?

 

[xotoxi]

If they passed a "no cell phone usage of any kind while driving" law, I'd be fine with it. Would you?

Yes.

I probably would break that rule from time to time, but I rarely use the phone in the car.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

I'm waiting on the day they make it legal to shoot assholes that drive while on the phone.

 

[REVxERIK]

I'm waiting on the day they make it legal to shoot assholes that drive while on the phone.

yeeesh calm down dirty harry

 

[Lonestar_logic]

I'm waiting on the day they make it legal to shoot assholes that drive while on the phone.

yeeesh calm down dirty harry

You're probably one of those assholes huh? Don't worry that comment was pure hyperbole. I wouldn't actually shoot anyone for talking on the cell phone while driving. I'd shoot out a tire instead.

 

[REVxERIK]

I'm waiting on the day they make it legal to shoot assholes that drive while on the phone.

yeeesh calm down dirty harry

You're probably one of those assholes huh? Don't worry that comment was pure hyperbole. I wouldn't actually shoot anyone for talking on the cell phone while driving. I'd shoot out a tire instead.

no car and no license so no. why'd you call me an asshole?

 

[Missourian]

Another R.E.T - Revenue enhancement technique.

Next they will outlaw conversing with passengers and listening to talk radio.

 

[REVxERIK]

Another R.E.T - Revenue enhancement technique.

Next they will outlaw conversing with passengers and listening to talk radio.

hmm. that's a very legit statement

 

[JakeStarkey]

Another R.E.T - Revenue enhancement technique.

Next they will outlaw conversing with passengers and listening to talk radio.

Silly comment, Missourian, by you. You don't have "rights" here that outweight the public safety. Talking on the phone is as dangerous as driving under the influence. Texting while driving is supposed to be far more dangerous, and every teen who drives that I have talked to admits they text while driving.

Sure, criminalize the behavior.

 

[MaggieMae]

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called distracted driving a "menace to society" Wednesday, kicking off a two-day meeting on preventing drivers from using mobile devices behind the wheel.

The Obama administration reported that nearly 6,000 people in the U.S. were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, including drivers talking on cell phones and texting.

"To put it plainly, distracted driving is a menace to society," LaHood told more than 300 participants at the government's 'distracted driving summit.' "Distracted driving is an epidemic and it seems to be getting worse every year."

The Transportation Department brought together experts to take a hard look at the highway hazards caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting from behind the wheel. LaHood said he would offer recommendations Thursday that could lead to new restrictions on using the devices while driving.

Congress is watching closely. Sen. Charles Schumer and other Democrats introduced legislation in July that would require states to ban texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle or lose 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding. The Obama administration has not taken a position on the bill.

Prior to the meeting, LaHood said the administration would "work with Congress" to develop ways of curbing distracted driving. Ultimately, LaHood said, he wanted the meeting to set "the stage for finding ways to eliminate texting while driving."

Previous efforts to reduce drunken driving and encourage motorists to wear seat belts taught the government a "valuable lesson," LaHood said. "We need a combination of strong laws, tough enforcement and ongoing public education to make a difference."

Transportation officials said in a research report 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.

LaHood said on any given day last year, more than 800,000 vehicles were driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone during the day.

The panel of government officials, safety advocates, researchers and lawmakers discussed ways of developing a consensus on the roadway hazards. Speakers showed images of pulverized sport utility vehicles and sawed off commercial buses that had been driven by people using mobile devices before the crash.

Others noted the problem was not limited to cars and cited a commuter train engineer in California, who texted a friend and failed to stop at a red signal. Twenty-five people were killed in the September 2008 passenger rail crash.

Transportation Chief: Distracted Driving a 'Menace' - Political News - FOXNews.com


If they passed a "no cell phone usage of any kind while driving" law, I'd be fine with it. Would you?

Absolutely. Which part of the brain is engaged in driving when both eyes and one hand are concentrated on something else?

 

[MaggieMae]

Another R.E.T - Revenue enhancement technique.

Next they will outlaw conversing with passengers and listening to talk radio.

Oh please. Use your head and stop trying to politicize everything!

This video is so graphic, you can't see it on YouTube without signing in. It's a dramatization, but undoubtedly a similar story told by real survivors.

COW taster 001 - Video - YouTube

 

[Missourian]

Texting is obviously a no-no. So is reading the newspaper and watching TV. No need to mention them.

But the article also refers to talking on the phoneand I'm saying "What is the difference between talking on the phone and talking to someone sitting next to you in the seat, or listening to someone talk on the radio and processing that information?"

P.S. - Physician, heal thyself.

I wasn't politicizing, talk radio could be Sports talk or Fresh Air and Car Talk on NPR or Air America or Martha Stewart Living Radio on XM.

 

[Ringel05]

Transportation Chief: Distracted Driving a 'Menace'

I wonder what clued him in?

 

[alan1]

Another R.E.T - Revenue enhancement technique.

Next they will outlaw conversing with passengers and listening to talk radio.

Let's not forget about eating while driving.

We could just change the drivers test. How about if when you take your drivers test you have to have 3 other passengers in the car with you and talk on the phone during the test.

 

[Modbert]

Whenever I see an idiot on the road driving, 9 times out of 10 they either are texting, eating, or most of the time on the phone. People as a whole can't usually pay attention to a conversation and drive at the same time.

I support a ban on talking on the phone/texting while driving.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Perhaps the technology is developed to that point that when the car turns on, the phone goes off.

 

[alan1]

Whenever I see an idiot on the road driving, 9 times out of 10 they either are texting, eating, or most of the time on the phone. People as a whole can't usually pay attention to a conversation and drive at the same time.

I support a ban on talking on the phone/texting while driving.

Then, would support a ban on people talking to passengers in their car?

 

[MaggieMae]

Another R.E.T - Revenue enhancement technique.

Next they will outlaw conversing with passengers and listening to talk radio.

Let's not forget about eating while driving.

We could just change the drivers test. How about if when you take your drivers test you have to have 3 other passengers in the car with you and talk on the phone during the test.

Of course if this had been implemented during the Bush administration, there'd be no problem with it.

 

[MaggieMae]

Whenever I see an idiot on the road driving, 9 times out of 10 they either are texting, eating, or most of the time on the phone. People as a whole can't usually pay attention to a conversation and drive at the same time.

I support a ban on talking on the phone/texting while driving.

I can't even stand someone yakking on a cell phone in line at the supermarket. It's distracting, annoying, and simply appears to others that the person is trying to impress everyone.

I have to wonder sometimes why there is such an obsession for constant communication with other people, but not in person.

 

[geauxtohell]

If they passed a "no cell phone usage of any kind while driving" law, I'd be fine with it. Would you?

I'd support it with an exception made for "hand's free/earphones".

Other than that, there is absolutely no reason to text while driving. That's moronic.