| Driver distraction is a major cause of | | | | than 7,000 crashes and near crashes were |
| accidents. Which is why 29 states and the | | | | recorded. Pictures show drivers falling |
| District of Columbia have passed laws | | | | asleep, eating while driving, applying |
| restricting cell phone use to use with a | | | | make-up, reading newspapers or maps, and |
| hands-free device (no jurisdiction has an | | | | others getting into accidents due to talking |
| outright ban). New Jersey and Washington | | | | on the cell phone or sending text messages. |
| state have been the only states ones to ban | | | | In all, more than 7,000 crashes and near |
| text messaging, though 21 states are | | | | crashes were recorded. |
| considering such bills this year. | | | | |
| | | | A January 2007 survey by the auto insurer |
| Why the legislative trend? | | | | Nationwide found that 19 percent of motorists |
| | | | say they text message while driving. |
| In 2006, nearly half of the 3,580 | | | | |
| phone-related crashes in New Jersey involved | | | | Driver distraction contributes to as many as |
| a cellular phone. Forty-five percent of | | | | half of car accidents says AAA. And drivers |
| fatal accidents that year also involved a | | | | talking with a hands-free device are still |
| hands-free device. | | | | distracted by the conversation, and they |
| | | | still have to use their hands to dial or pick |
| That same year over 350 drivers were reported | | | | up a call. |
| to be distracted by cell phones when involved | | | | |
| in accidents on Florida roadways. | | | | Ford Motor Company research shows that teens |
| | | | are four times more distracted than adults by |
| But don't feel think that using a hands-free | | | | cell phone use when driving. In fact, the |
| device with your cell phone is enough to | | | | National Transportation Safety Board listed |
| reduce your chance of being in an accident. | | | | prohibiting teens from driving with cell |
| Carnegie Mellon University researchers say | | | | phones as one of its "Most Wanted" Highway |
| you're still likely going to be distracted. | | | | Safety Improvements Federal Issues. |
| The researchers used brain imaging to show | | | | |
| that even just listening to a cell phone | | | | A survey conducted by the Liberty Mutual |
| while driving cuts by more than a third of | | | | Research Institute for Safety and Students |
| your attention to driving. | | | | Against Destructive Decisions showed that |
| | | | teens considered sending text messages via |
| And, other research, from the University of | | | | cell phones to be their biggest distraction |
| Utah, has shown that cell phone wielding | | | | while driving. |
| drivers actually tend to drive more slowly | | | | |
| and can create traffic jams. | | | | A 2006 study conducted by the Virginia Tech |
| | | | Transportation Institute and the National |
| But are cell phones the only cause of driver | | | | Highway Traffic Safety Administration found |
| distraction? A recent study by Virginia Tech | | | | that almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 |
| University and the National Highway Safety | | | | percent of near-crashes involved some form of |
| Administration recorded the results of more | | | | driver inattention within three seconds of |
| than 100 distracted drivers. In all, more | | | | the event. |