A study on distracted driving enforcement in Washington

The University of Washington Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center conducted a study on distracted driving enforcement. Using focus groups of police officers from King County, Whatcom County, and Spokane County, researchers identified some common problems, including: distracted driving laws are difficult to enforce. The study participants proposed a solution. Laws should prohibit all forms of electronic distraction while driving. “Officers told us they don’t want to know what someone typing on their phone – just that they shouldn’t be doing it.” said researcher Dr. Beth Ebel. This problem is clearly illustrated in this video, as a driver explains to an officer what he was doing with his phone. Washington state law RCW 46.61.668 prohibits sending, reading, or writing a

End Distracted Driving featured on The Today Show

End Distracted Driving founders and attorneys Joel Feldman and Dianne Anderson talked about the untimely death of their daughter Casey on the Today Show. The segment also highlights several new phone apps to help prevent dangerous distraction on the road.   “Be the driver you want your teen to be” – Joel Feldman End Distracted Driving is dedicated to inspiring individuals and communities to take action to end distracted driving. See what you can do to become a safer driver—or schedule a presentation at your school or business— at enddd.org. Why you can’t multi-task and drive Who is guilty of multi-tasking while driving? Talking. Texting. Eating. We can all agree that driving safely is not a waste of time. So why

Cops are driving distracted – and it’s really dangerous

At any giving time, a police officer could be responding to a call, checking the in-dash computer – and driving a car. Officers are trained to multitask behind the wheel, but how well does that work? Washington State Distracted Driving Simulator Washington State University in Spokane set up a distracted driving simulation for police officers.   The officers were tasked with: Driving 55 miles per hour; Staying in their own traffic lane; Avoiding obstacles; And keeping a 100-foot distance from a car with an erratic driver. Researchers measured eye movements and reaction time as officers performed common job tasks, liking reading from their onboard computers. “What we’re trying to do is both identify what impairs police officers or interferes with

Multi-tasking drivers cause car crashes.

Each day, more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured in crashes involving distracted driving. Distracted driving has no boundaries. New drivers, experienced drivers, teen drivers and elderly drivers are all equally likely to be involved in distracted driving car crashes. Why do so many drivers think that safety operating a vehicle is not enough? Distracted drivers cause car crashes There are three main types of distraction: Visual: taking your eyes off the road. Manual: taking your hands off the wheel. Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving. Phone calls, texts, and even talking to passengers are cognitive distractions. Eating is both a manual and cognitive distraction. Personal tasks like putting on make-up or combing

Truck Drivers Ignoring Cell Phone Ban

It’s illegal. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a blanket ban on commercial drivers using a hand-held cellular phone or texting while driving. It’s unsafe. Truck drivers are 23x more likely to crash if they are texting. And a number of trucking carriers claim that texting and driving is grounds for a driver’s immediate dismissal. So why are these truckers still texting and driving? It’s shocking to hear that truckers are so blatantly disregarding the law, their safety, and, most importantly, the safety of everyone else on the road. The rule imposes sanctions for driver offenses, including civil penalties of up to $2,750 and driver disqualification for multiple offenses Federal rules are strict, but it’s the state’s responsibility to enforce

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