Submitted by Aiken Jacobsen on
Ray LaHood, Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation has been the public face of a campaign against distracted driving. In his time with the DOT he has made it his mission to make Americans aware of the dangers of distracted driving and to reduce the number of distracted driving car accidents.
His campaign continues, and he's armed with yet another survey that shows just how common distracted driving is. In a poll of 1,026 drivers, each driver was asked about his or her conduct behind the wheel in the last month. Here were the results:
For drivers 29 and under:
• 63 percent have used a handheld cell phone while driving in the last month.
• 30 percent send text messages while driving.
For drivers 30 and older:
• 41 percent have used a handheld phone while driving in the last month.
• 9 percent send text messages while driving.
LaHood is most concerned about the behaviors and attitudes of younger drivers. He points out that they are already at a higher risk of accidents because of their inexperience, and yet they are the group most likely to think distracted driving is not a big deal.
The DOT's latest campaign will be a partnership with Consumer Reports Magazine. The campaign focuses on targeting the message to several groups. LaHood plans to first appeal directly to teens through a national TV ad which will also play in Walmart stores.
Next, the campaign will appeal to parents of teen drivers with a free brochure which gives parents advice on how to talk to their kids about distracted driving.
Finally, the DOT will release video testimony from people who have lost friends and family in distracted driving car accidents. The list of testimonials will include one from Miss South Dakota, who lost her brother in such an accident.
We have posted many times about the dangers of distracted driving. Despite laws and media campaigns, poll data shows that many drivers still do not consider it a dangerous practice. Hopefully LaHood's new targeted campaign will start to bring the message home.
Source: Associated Press, "63 percent under 30 admit driving while on phone," Jim Fitzgerald, 07 March 2011
