A recent summit conducted by the Department of Transportation
(DOT) focused on one of the most serious traffic safety issues in
the U.S.: distracted driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
during 2008, police reports cited distracted driving as a causal
factor in traffic accidents in which 5,870 people were killed. An
estimated 515,000 people were injured as a result of distracted
driving accidents during the same year, and the numbers may be
understated; it is difficult for law enforcement responders to
accident scenes to identify driver distraction as a causal
factor.
At the summit's conclusion, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood announced
three action items DOT will implement, including placing permanent
restrictions on the use of cellular telephones and other electronic
devices in rail operation; banning text messaging and restricting
cellular telephone use in interstate truck and bus operations; and
disqualifying school bus drivers convicted of text messaging while
driving from maintaining their commercial drivers licenses.
DOT will seek state support in passing state and local laws and
ordinances against distracted driving and increasing local...
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