Posts Tagged ‘texting and driving’
Kicking the Habit: Texting & Driving
Posted by Cassandra in Legislation on August 17th, 2010
The Massachusetts texting ban is to take effect October 1st and some drivers have already had difficulty trying to quit. Many texting addicts have already tried to start prying their fingers from a cell phone while driving, here are a few tips on how to keep yourself from the buttons while behind the wheel:
- Place your phone out of sight or at least arms reach in places like the glove box. If you’re a true texting addict, the trunk may be your phone’s ultimate safe haven.
- Turn the texting notification tone to silent to ease your texting temptation.
- If you can still see the screen light up when the ringer is on silent, turn your phone off.
- Read your directions a couple times before hitting the road, this way you’ll be familiar with the route & have to pull over fewer times to check those texted directions.
- Two words: designated texter. If you have a friend in the car, have them text for you!
- Make the ultimate realization that the text message will still be there when you park. Lo and behold, it will say the same thing it did 5, 10 or 20 minutes ago when your phone received it.
Happy and safe driving everyone!
Massachusetts To Ban Texting Behind the Wheel?
Posted by Cassandra in Legislation on June 30th, 2010
The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted 150-1 last week approving a bill that bans texting while driving for all motorists and imposes a new requirement on elderly drivers. Only a day after the Massachusetts House passed the text-banning legislation the Massachusetts Senate voted in agreement passing the measure as well. This piece of legislation will travel onward to Governor Deval Patrick who has also announced he supports the bill and will review the proposal when it reaches his desk.
If passed the legislation will ban texting sate-wide while driving and restrict those under 18 to use a cell phone while driving except in emergencies. Drivers under 18 years of age who are caught texting and driving under this new legislation will face a $100 find on the first offense, $250 on the second, and $500 on the third and all subsequent offenses. The fine and ticket for texting while driving will not be considered a moving violation and thus are not subject to an insurance surcharge.
The proposed bill will also require drivers turning 75 years or older to take their license in to an RMV office to take an eye exam for a renewal and every five years after their 75th birthday. Another key part in the legislation is a provision created to encourage doctors to alert the state when a patient may be dangerous on the roads.
If this bill makes it’s way to law Massachusetts will join 28 other states and the District of Colombia in banning texting behind the wheel.
MIT Joins Fight Against Distracted Driving
Posted by Cassandra in Consumer Advocacy on May 6th, 2010
From Oprah’s National No Phone Day to commercials during your favorite sitcom, it is widely known cell phone use behind the wheel is a dangerous endeavor. A recent study by the American Automobile Association found the risk of an auto accident increases by approximately 50% while texting behind the wheel. According to a webinar hosted by Neustar 2.5 billion text messages are sent per day in the United States… too many of these from behind the wheel.
Ray LaHood, Secretary of the United States Transportation, has taken a firm lead in the fight against distracted driving. LaHood took part in the Washington No Phone Zone rally last Friday emphasizing the importance of putting cell phones away while driving. A largely useful suggestion LaHood has made is for driver’s to place their cell phones in the glove box before operating a vehicle. The Secretary has enlisted the help of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to find a technology with the ability to disable a driver’s cell phone use while not blocking passenger’s cell phone usage.
According to an article in the Washington Post LaHood’s research has uncovered the following facts:
- Eight in ten drivers talk on the phone behind the wheel.
- Cell phones are a factor in an estimated 342,000 auto accident injuries per year.
- The cost of property damage, lost wages, medical bills and lost lives accrues to a whopping $43 billion per year.
Distracted driving is not an issue to take lightly. The Secretary visited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge to personally request help in his fight against cell phone related distracted driving. LaHood challenged the students and faculty to build a car that will not crash, design a zero emission greenhouse gas vehicle, and create a green revolution changing the way energy is consumed and generated.
Should Massachusetts have a ban on text message driving?
Posted by Ryan in Uncategorized on January 16th, 2010
In a recent article in the Boston Globe, writer Derrick Z. Jackson addresses the ongoing movement toward banning text messaging while driving. Nineteen states have already set implemented bans on texting while driving and the national government has also made moves toward nationalizing the movement. President Obama called distracted driving a “deadly epidemic” and a “menace to society.” The President has already banned text-message driving for federal employees.
It doesn’t stop with the President, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says “I’m on a rampage about this, and I’m not going to let up.’’ Even the CTIA, the wireless industry lobbying group, officially supports bans on text messaging while driving. The lobbying group has also adopted a “neutral” stance on bans of all hands/hands-free communication.
The vice president for research at the National Safety Council, John Ulczycki, released a statement to New York Times regarding the matter.
“2009 will go down as the year that we got national consensus on the dangers of texting. Hopefully, 2010 will be the year we get the same level of attention, if not consensus, on the dangers of conversation.’’
A Virginia Tech study showed that texting increases the risk of an accident 23 times and any use of a cell phone quadruples your risk. Even though studies show the facts, legislation has still not been passed to ban or limit the use of cell phones on the road. A city wide ban has been implemented in Boston on text-message driving but drivers all over the state continue to face injury and death due to distracted driving.
Jackson from the Globe believes “Baddour and Wagner,” Massachusetts House and Senate Chairmen, “need to stop negotiating over outdated nuance when we are talking about the hi-tech equivalent of driving drunk.”
Dangers of Texting and Driving
Posted by Cassandra in Consumer Advocacy, Legislation on December 23rd, 2009
It’s amazing what younger generations can accomplish with a few clicks of their cell phone. From making plans for the evening and shopping online to ordering a meal to go, texting and smart phones make life more convenient. While the novelty and ease of communication via texting is widely used, the dangers of this activity behind the wheel must be taken seriously. Many may say something to the effect of, “What? It’s not like I’m drinking and driving!” Which is the truth, the reaction time of someone with a blood alcohol content of .08 reacts four times more quickly than when they are texting sober according to a study by CarandDriver. While 17 states ban texting and driving and 7 states ban complete hand held cell use behind the wheel the temptation may still remain.
When the dangers are this evident that even driving drunk may be safer than texting should make someone think twice before picking up that cell phone behind the wheel. If you struggle with the temptation to check that e-mail or text here are a few ways to avoid it:
- Give yourself a reality check and watch this video the Today Show featured in a texting & driving segment.
- If you’re trying to find an address, pull over and park before checking your phone.
- If you have someone in the car with you ask them to help you break the texting habit.
- Place your cell phone out of reach.
- If this isn’t enough to stop you, turn your cell phone off.
What Massachusetts Gov’t Has to Say About Texting & Driving
Posted by Cassandra in Consumer Advocacy, Legislation on September 25th, 2009
Massachusetts DOT has an extensive list of driving distractions they’ve been aware of for quite some time. From drinking and driving to music on the radio, Massachusetts government is moving texting to the top of that list.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) approximately, “80 percent of all accidents are caused by driver inattention.” (DOT to you: Don’t Text and Drive). With technology advancing at lightning speed we have everything from the radio and video displays to our cell phones to distract us.
A recent study by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study that found drivers who texted while driving were 23 times more likely to crash or get into a near-accident than undistracted driver. (Senators Push Nation Wide Ban On Texting While Driving)
Massachusetts Department of Transportation is serious about cutting down distractions. Currently 17 states ban texting and driving, is Massachusetts next? Keep a close eye out September 30th and October 1st when the U.S. Department of transportation convenes in Washington D.C. to discuss it.
Text and Drive? Companies are saying that’s a no no.
Posted by Cassandra in Consumer Advocacy on June 4th, 2009
Do you text and drive? Maybe you’re on your way to work updating your co-worker on the details of a big account. Or maybe you’re getting the directions for your saturday night out. More and more businesses are saying, “Not on our time!”
AMEC, a global engineering firm, banned cell phone usage while driving on company time. Bill Windory, an associate VP of safety for Nationwide Insurance noted:
“Early on, companies said, ‘Hey, phoning and driving is great. This will give us all kinds of increased productivity’… [However] now, we’re at a point where we better understand the risks involved.” - ‘Can’t Talk Now’ by Maggie Jackson of the Boston Globe.
If you text and drive take into consideration the lives you are putting on the line. Pull off the road and stop to read your text or make that phone call. If you are distracted and hit another driver, or worse a pedestrian, you’ll not only have cost yourself in auto insurance premiums, you may have cost a life.
Drive safely.
