WVU Receives Grant to Study Distracted Driving

West Virginia University's School of Public Health has recevied a $182,000 grant to study the effectiveness of state laws banning cell phone use while driving. The grant from the Eunice K. Shriver National Institute of Health was announced by West Virginia's U.S. Senators, Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin. WVU's announcement is attached here. According to a National Transportation Safety Board "Fact Sheet," which notes various data on the issue, commercial drivers are 163 times more likely to have a "safety-critical event" if texting, and that national surveys indicate 69 percent of drivers reporting talking on their cell phones while driving, and 24 percent reported texting or emailing while driving. The attached chart from the Governor's Highway Safety Association, lists all cell phone/texting laws in place in the U.S. and whether the various restrictions are primary or secondary offenses. Currently West Virginia's restrictions are secondary, meaning a driver cannot be cited for hand held use unless stopped for another infraction, however, West Virginia's ban becomes primary on July 1, 2013.

U.S. Highway Fatalities Fall to Lowest Level Recorded

U.S. highway deaths in 2010 fell to the lowest level ever recorded. The attached announcement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes 32,885 highway deaths, a reduction from 2009, even though highway miles traveled increased by 46 billion miles.

In explaining the Agency's emphasis on distracted driving and its data-collection efforts to measure it, an interesting survey about attitudes regarding distracted driving was mentioned. For example, three quarters of drivers reporting their willingness to answer cell phone calls on all, most, or some trips. Most drivers also noted their willingness to send a text message while driving, while at the same time reporting that if they were a passenger, they'd feel "very unsafe" if the driver was texting. The data seems to support a classic do as I say not as I do attitude toward texting while driving.

It is certainly laudable that highway fatalities continue to decrease. However, its difficult to feel pleased with only 32,000 deaths per year. The toll from highway accidents is significant, but at least the trend is heading in the right direction.