NSC President and CEO Janet Froetscher identified cell phone use while driving as one of America's most urgent traffic safety issues. In January, NSC became the first national organization to call for a total ban on that activity, based on scientific estimates that cell phone use while driving contributes to 6 percent of crashes, or 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year. The same research put the annual financial toll of cell phone-related crashes at $43 billion.

"Our nation has reached a point where we estimate more than 100 million people are engaging in this dangerous behavior daily," Froetscher said, adding that the issue is not the type of phone a driver uses, rather it is the distraction caused by the conversation. "Hands-free devices do not make cell phones any safer. Several studies indicate that the principle risk is the cognitive distraction. Studies also show that driving while talking on a cell phone is extremely dangerous and puts drivers at a four-times greater crash risk."
Click here to read the EHS article.

In a survey conducted by Geeksugar.com, they ask: Are you a chronic text messager while driving?

Do you Always - 17% (1,041 votes)
No - 33% (1,972 votes)
Once in awhile - 49% (2,964 votes)
Something else - 1% (85 votes)
Total votes: 6,062 (information from 2007)

Texting While Driving Banned for Federal Staff

• Federal employees will not be allowed to text while driving, according to an executive order signed Wednesday night (September 30th) by President Obama.


• A spokeswoman for the Transportation Department said the order took effect immediately and involved 4.5 million federal employees, including military personnel.


• Banning texting “makes people feel good and makes it look like you’re doing something, but you’re not tackling the more difficult problem,” said David Strayer, a professor at the University of Utah who studies distracted driving. “It misses the larger point.”

To read the entire NY Times article, click here.


For Further information on Distracted Driving and Texting while Driving, please click on the below links.

Go to Accuform's Blog, The Sign Post, to read last month's article on Distracted Driving.

Download this .pdf from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

Click here for cell phone and texting laws in the US from the National Safety Council.

Pew Internet & American Life Project on Teens and Distracted Driving.

Driver Strategies for Engaging in Distracting Tasks Using In-Vehicle Technologies.

To read the entire article, "Texting while driving: the new drunk driving," click here.