distracted driving News

Progressive Says Technology Pulling Auto Safety in Opposite Directions

While automakers are making progress in including lifesaving automatic safety devices with their latest vehicles, advances in another kind of technology may be having the opposite effect on auto safety. According to a new report by Progressive, the increasing availability …

Auto Group Backs Guidelines For Partially Automated Vehicles

DETROIT (AP) — The trade association representing most major automakers is offering guidelines for manufacturers to advertise partially automated driving systems and to make sure drivers are paying attention while using them. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation says its members …

Amazon Plans AI-Powered Cameras in Delivery Vans to Improve Safety

Amazon.com has revealed plans to install AI-powered video cameras in its branded delivery vans, in a move that the world’s largest e-commerce firm says would improve safety of both drivers and the communities in which they deliver. The company recently …

Tesla’s Autopilot, Cell Phone Use Blamed in 2018 Fatal Crash

U.S. crash investigators faulted Tesla Inc.’s Autopilot system and the driver’s distraction by a mobile device for a fatal accident in 2018 and called on Apple Inc. and other mobile phone makers to do more to keep motorists’ attention on …

Some Leery of Higher Fines On Georgia Drivers Using Phones

ATLANTA — Georgia drivers could face tougher penalties for using their cell phones while driving, although some lawmakers are leery of setting higher fines. The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee heard testimony Monday on House Bill 113, but …

U.S. Traffic Deaths Drop as Agency Points to Crash-Avoiding Tech

Fatalities on U.S. roads fell for a second consecutive year and are on track to decline again in 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A total of 36,560 people died in traffic accidents last year, down 2.4% …

State Farm Moves Auto Telematics into ‘Real Time’

The nation’s largest insurer has stepped up its investment in telematics, announcing this week an upgrade to its usage-based insurance program that allows policyholders to check on their driving habits trip-by-trip instead of waiting for a periodic score card. State …

Patterns of Compulsive Smartphone Use Suggest How to Kick the Habit

Everywhere you look, people are looking at screens. In the decade since smartphones have become ubiquitous, we now have a feeling almost as common as the smartphones themselves: being sucked into that black hole of staring at those specific apps …

Insurers Know Exactly How Often American Drivers Touch Their Phones

The distracted driving report by Zendrive, a traffic-data startup, makes it clearer and clearer each year that millions of Americans can’t stop themselves from talking, texting and livestreaming—yes, even using FaceTime—while driving. The results have been increasingly unsettling, showing that …

Nevada Lawmakers Mulling ‘Textalyzer’ for Car Crash Investigations

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Most states ban texting behind the wheel, but a legislative proposal could make Nevada one of the first states to allow police to use a contentious technology to find out if a person was using a …