subject: Blueprint For Ending Distracted Driving In California And Delaware [print this page] Earlier this month U.SEarlier this month U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled a "Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving." This new "blueprint" includes $2.4 million in funding for enforcement in Northern California and Delaware. In addition, the plan encourages the 11 states without distracted driving laws to take some sort of action against distracted driving. Secretary LaHood also is putting pressure on the auto manufacturers to adopt new technology to reduce potential distracted driving. According to an article published by handsfree-info.com, "The $2.4 million in funding for Northern California and Delaware was billed as an expansion of the DOTs "Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other" campaign."
"Distracted driving is an epidemic," LaHood said June 7. "While weve made progress in the past three years by raising awareness about this risky behavior, the simple fact is people are continuing to be killed and injured and we can put an end to it."
A similar PSA and enforcement program was undertaken in 2011 successfully in Hartford, Ct., and Syracuse, N.Y. According to the article on the site, "The DOT cited "dramatic declines in distracted driving" in those communities, including a 72 percent decline in texting & driving in Hartford."
The California program is supposed to target eight specific counties in the Sacramento region. In Delaware the program will be statewide. The programs are slated to begin later this year. In California, about $1.5 million will go to campaigns in December, February or March, and June, the Office of Traffic Safety told the L.A. Times.
"Were coupling extra officers with a lot of media coverage to let people know distracted driving is dangerous and law enforcement will catch you," said a spokesman for the OTS.
Will the new plan work? LaHood said at the June 8th press conference, "We know that good laws work and good enforcement works. He again declined to endorse a full ban on cell phone use, as proposed by the NHTSA, saying the research was unclear."
Does your state have a law banning texting while driving? According to the article by handsfree-info.com, "States without text messaging bans for all drivers are Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas. All of Hawaii is covered by distracted driving laws, but they originated at the county (island) level."
With the new voice command Smartphones, texting while driving is really inexcusable. Not only can you now use your Bluetooth headset to dictate a text message, but you can also have the incoming messages read to you. Of course arguments can be made that even dictating messages can be distracting while driving, so a word of caution to you. Pay attention to your driving and to those around you.
