Govt: Nearly 6,000 deaths from driver distraction

[the Disemboweler]

Sep 30, 9:04 AM EDT


Govt: Nearly 6,000 deaths from driver distraction

By KEN THOMAS
Associated Press Writer

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Opening a government meeting on auto safety, the Obama administration reported Wednesday that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, a striking indication of the dangers of using mobile devices behind the wheel.

The Transportation Department was bringing together experts over two days for what it's calling a "distracted driving summit" to take a hard look at the highway hazards caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting from behind the wheel. Secretary Ray LaHood was expected to offer recommendations Thursday that could lead to new restrictions on using the devices while driving.

LaHood said the administration would "work with Congress" to develop ways of curbing distracted driving. The meeting would solicit ideas to address the problem "similar to what went on with seat belts and (blood-alcohol limits of) 0.08 where you really educate the public, where you tell people that they have to take personal responsibility for these things."

Ultimately, LaHood said, he wanted the meeting to set "the stage for finding ways to eliminate texting while driving."

"You see people texting and driving and using cell phones and driving everywhere you go, even in places where it's outlawed, like Washington, D.C. We feel a very strong obligation to point to incidents where people have been killed or where serious injury has occurred," LaHood said.

Hours before the start of the meeting, 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.

The panel of government officials, safety advocates, researchers and lawmakers hoped to develop a consensus on the roadway hazards and hear warnings from young adults who caused car accidents because they were texting while driving.

The new data underscored the major problem of distractions involving young drivers. The greatest proportion of distracted drivers were those age 20 and under. Sixteen percent of all under-20 drivers involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving, the government said.

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 texting and on using handheld mobile devices while behind the wheel.

In July, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater. Dialing a cell phone and using or reaching for an electronic device increased risk of collision about six times in cars and trucks.

The Virginia Tech researchers found the risks of texting generally applied to all drivers, not just truckers. A separate report by Car and Driver magazine found that texting and driving is more dangerous than drunken driving.

Congress is watching closely. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who will address the gathering, 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.

Some groups want tough laws on the distractions. The National Safety Council wants a total ban on cell phone use while driving. The Washington-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety has petitioned the government to consider federal rules that restrict talking and texting by drivers of tractor trailers, motor coaches and large vans.

"What we're saying is, 'Let's be proactive on this.' Let's get in there now and start evaluating these technologies and figure out which ones pose safety risks," said Jacqueline Gillan, vice president for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

Other groups have focused on texting, which has grown from nearly 10 billion messages a month in December 2005 to more than 110 billion in December 2008, according to CTIA-The Wireless Association, the cellular phone industry's trade group.

The Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety officials, recently reversed course and said it would support new laws banning texting behind the wheel. The Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, which represents 11 automakers, including General Motors, Ford and Toyota, said it supports a ban on texting and phone calls using handheld devices.

CTIA also supports a ban on texting while driving but has argued that education and enforcement are critical to changing driver behavior. CTIA and the National Safety Council announced plans for public service announcements warning teen drivers of the dangers of distracted driving.

---

On the Net:

Distracted Driving Summit: http://tinyurl.com/ncozgx

State laws on cell phones, driving: http://tinyurl.com/5k5bwy

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

[JerseyGuy]

I blame the "chatolics".

[Stormchaser]

Its just the hot new topic, mobile devices causing crashes. Before that, it was make up in the car, eating, fussy kids, etc. There's always distractions out there. I love how people see someone looking down at their phone while driving, and immediately assume texting because of the media spin of late. How do you know they're not checking voicemail, or dialing a number? Yes, distractions cause accidents, always have, always will. DUH. Why do we waste money on this sh*t?

[Dr. NO]

Highway injury and death totals go up Exponentially as the government and car makers reduce the size of the cars we drive. Grab that new SCION or Mini and enjoy your next accident.

Wonder what the survival rate is at 55 for someone in that Smart Car?

[Geoff]

Highway injury and death totals go up Exponentially as the government and car makers reduce the size of the cars we drive. Grab that new SCION or Mini and enjoy your next accident.

Wonder what the survival rate is at 55 for someone in that Smart Car?

It depends on what hits the Smart Car. If you get suburban housewives out of their massive GMC Denalis and into something more environmentally friendly that doesn't weigh 6,000 pounds, the survivability numbers will improve for smaller cars. When I'm driving my VW and some tool is right on my bumper in a massive SUV, I want to roll down my window and start lobbing beer bottles at their windshield.

[SkiDork]

Highway injury and death totals go up Exponentially as the government and car makers reduce the size of the cars we drive. Grab that new SCION or Mini and enjoy your next accident.

Wonder what the survival rate is at 55 for someone in that Smart Car?

It depends on what hits the Smart Car. If you get suburban housewives out of their massive GMC Denalis and into something more environmentally friendly that doesn't weigh 6,000 pounds, the survivability numbers will improve for smaller cars. When I'm driving my VW and some tool is right on my bumper in a massive SUV, I want to roll down my window and start lobbing beer bottles at their windshield.

or golf clubs...

[the Disemboweler]

Highway injury and death totals go up Exponentially as the government and car makers reduce the size of the cars we drive. Grab that new SCION or Mini and enjoy your next accident.

Wonder what the survival rate is at 55 for someone in that Smart Car?

It depends on what hits the Smart Car. If you get suburban housewives out of their massive GMC Denalis and into something more environmentally friendly that doesn't weigh 6,000 pounds, the survivability numbers will improve for smaller cars. When I'm driving my VW and some tool is right on my bumper in a massive SUV, I want to roll down my window and start lobbing beer bottles at their windshield.

how about golf balls or lug nuts? do the lankas tailgate in their massive yukon monster? how do you control yourself from stopping your vehicle & getting out of the car? police?

[BoozeTan]

speaking of dumb assholes on the road....
comin home from Kily on sunday I was traveling in the left lane on 91 S in VT doin about 73 or so, keepin with the flow of traffic...then some asshat in a mini van cuts in front of me from the right lane and slams on the brakes and makes a left turn in order to make an illegal u-turn in one of the authorized vehicles only turn arounds. I slam on the brakes and turn the wheel to the right. Luckily the guy in the SUV next to me in the right lane must have seen it goin down and anticipated that I had no where to go. He moved over towards the shoulder enough for me to just barely squeeze by the ass bag in the mini van. I swear I missed his back drivers side by inches. and the SUV probably only by a foot. That was the closest Ive ever been to being in a crash with out being in one. rattled me up for a couple miles.....Id love to get my hands on this f***

[BoozeTan]

Highway injury and death totals go up Exponentially as the government and car makers reduce the size of the cars we drive. Grab that new SCION or Mini and enjoy your next accident.

Wonder what the survival rate is at 55 for someone in that Smart Car?

It depends on what hits the Smart Car. If you get suburban housewives out of their massive GMC Denalis and into something more environmentally friendly that doesn't weigh 6,000 pounds, the survivability numbers will improve for smaller cars. When I'm driving my VW and some tool is right on my bumper in a massive SUV, I want to roll down my window and start lobbing beer bottles at their windshield.

drinking and driving is wrong Geoff......

[Mister Moose]

When I'm driving my VW and some tool is right on my bumper in a massive SUV, I want to roll down my window and start lobbing beer bottles at their windshield.

or golf clubs...

Interesting. Geoff is Kramer. I can almost see that. Now if he starts driving those bottles to Michigan....