Putting the brakes on distracted driving
T
he facts are sobering. Distracted driving causes approximately 6,000 fatalities annually, and drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to cause crashes that involve injury. Talking on a cell phone or texting, in fact, top the list of driver distractions. To attack what he calls an “epidemic” of distraction, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary LaHood has initiated a nationwide campaign. As part of the campaign, $2.4 million will be awarded to California and Delaware, two states with more stringent distracted driving laws than Massachusetts. Drivers there may not text or use cell phones and novice drivers may not use either a handheld or hands-free device. In their campaigns, California and Delaware will focus on improving police enforcement and increasing public awareness. Such measures have already proven to be successful. Year-long pilot programs in Hartford, Connecticut, and Syracuse, New York, decreased texting by drivers: in Hartford, by 72%, and in Syracuse, by 32%. It is safe to say that every driver has had a close encounter with a distracted driver. To stop this risky behavior, Massachusetts legislators need to act now to pass one of the more restrictive bills currently under consideration. Until these measures are in place, current laws should be enforced more vigorously. Local businesses, in addition, should move to curb distracted driving among their employees, as such companies and Shell Oil and UPS have already done. Finally, educators need to reach out to all age groups, spreading the message that safe driving means keeping your eyes on the road. All distractions are dangerous. And in the words of AT&T’s safety initiative: “It Can Wait.”