Putting a stop to texting and driving is a top priority among many safety experts. Several devices claim to be able to prevent people from engaging in this form of distracted driving. A device developed at an Indian university is taking the fight against texting and driving to a new level. The device, known as a […]
Distracted Driving
Teens Can Help Other Teens Avoid Distracted Driving
Though it is often cited as a major contributor to unsafe behavior among teens, peer pressure can also be a tool for positive change. Consumer Reports recently released a study indicating that peer pressure is increasingly being used to stop teen drivers from texting while driving. While teen drivers still suffer elevated rates of fatal car […]
Inconclusive Data on Cell Phone Bans
Ever since cell phones became popular almost 20 years ago, Chicago residents have heard about the dangers of using them while driving. However, after almost two decades of research, there is still debate as to whether cell phones increase the likelihood of a serious car or truck accident. In addition, there is data that suggests the […]
A Forum on Attentive Driving
The competition for a driver’s attention used to be between driving, the radio and other passengers. That competition now includes cell phones, GPS devices, iPods and other personal electronic devices. The increase in serious car and truck accidents caused by distracted driving has caused the National Transportation Safety Board to hold a forum designed to […]
NTSB Continues to Push Cell Phone Ban
While many states have adopted bans on texting while driving, the acceptance for a total ban on portable electronic device use while driving has not caught on to the same level. The National Transportation Safety Board called for such a ban last December in response to mounting evidence that cell phones are a growing cause […]
New Ad Campaign Targets Texting by At-Risk Drivers
A group of states’ attorneys general have teamed up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council on a campaign to increase public awareness about the dangers of texting while driving. The campaign targets drivers in the 16-24 years old range, a group associated with a high rate of car accidents, as well […]
Chicago May Ban Cell Phone Use While Biking
The Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee has proposed a city ordinance that would allow police officers to ticket people who talk or text on a cell phone while bicycling. The ordinance would require riders to use a hands-free device to use a cell phone while the bike is in motion. The measure is meant to […]
On anniversary of accident, NTSB calls for culture change
Distracted driving has led to countless accidents in recent years. Few were as impactful as the collision between a tour boat and a barge that killed two and put 35 more in the water in Philadelphia one year ago. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is using that accident as part of its campaign to bring national […]
Trucking Industry Objects to Proposed Cell Phone Restrictions on Truck Drivers
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, nearly 60,000 people were injured and 3,380 people were killed in truck crashes in 2009. Many of these deaths and injuries were caused by distracted truck drivers using cell phones. “Every time a commercial truck or bus driver takes his or her eyes off the road to use a cell […]
Family of girls killed in accident with trooper receives $8M
The Illinois Court of Claims has awarded $8 million to the parents of two Collinsville sisters who were killed in an auto accident caused by an Illinois state trooper. Judge Peter J. Birnbaum’s opinion in the wrongful death case stated that when the trooper drove his vehicle “at a speed of 126 mph he operated his vehicle […]
The NTSB Updates Its ‘Most Wanted’ List Of Transportation Safety Improvements; Underscores The Critical Changes Needed To Reduce Transportation Accidents And Save Lives
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency created in 1967 to investigate transportation accidents and promote transportation safety. The NTSB recently issued its updated Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. The list highlights important safety actions that federal transportation agencies and all 50 States need to take to prevent accidents […]
Recent Highway Construction Worker Fatalities Underscore The Importance Of Increasing Driver Awareness And Safety In Illinois
A 33-year-old construction worker who was killed September 17th when he was struck by a semi-truck in an Interstate 55 construction zone became the 22nd person – and third construction worker – to die in a work zone crash this year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The post-crash investigation resulted in the driver being […]
NTSB Issues Recommendations To U.S. Coast Guard In Effort To Crack Down On Distractions Caused By Wireless Devices
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued two recommendations yesterday to the U.S. Coast Guard regarding the use of wireless devices during the operation of Coast Guard watercraft. The recommendations decry a need for regulations governing such use amongst both the Coast Guard and the maritime industry in an effort to prevent the consequences of […]
U.S Department Of Transportation’s FMCSA Launches National Pre-Employment Screening Program Granting Employers Access To Drivers’ Inspections And Crash Records
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced today the launch of its Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP), a uniform investigatory system that will allow commercial motor carriers access to the crash and inspection records of all candidates seeking employment as commercial vehicle drivers. The PSP is part of the FMCSA’s Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 […]
Illinois Driver Polishing Her Nails In Traffic Found Guilty Of Hitting, Killing Woman; Just One Day Before, The 25th State Passed Ban Cracking Down On Distracted Driving
On May 5, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood announced that Wisconsin had become the 25th state in the U.S. to ban texting while driving, calling distracted driving “an epidemic” responsible for killing and injuring thousands of people every year. That statistic is a very unfortunate reality for the family of Anita Zaffke, the […]