distracted driving News

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 …

North Carolina Lawmakers Mull Hand-Held Phone Ban for Drivers

RALEIGH, N.C. — With smartphones now ever-present, North Carolina lawmakers are revisiting distracted driving laws and on Tuesday advanced a prohibition on hand-held cellphone use they say will reduce accidents and potentially rein in insurance rates. The House Transportation Committee …

Virginia Lawmakers, Victims Want Distracted Driving Bill Expansions

Teary-eyed parents and supporters of legislation to curb distracted driving filled a small room at the Capitol, some wearing neon yellow traffic vests in solidarity as they offered emotional testimony. Others held framed pictures of loved ones who died in …

Study Finds Driver Cell Phone Bans Are Saving Motorcyclists’ Lives

Laws to ban or curb drivers’ use of cell phones and other handheld devices have greatly reduced the rate of fatalities for motorcyclists, according to a new study by faculty at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami. The …

Increased Highway Speeds in Rural Oregon Connected to More Deaths

It started almost as soon as the Oregon Department of Transportation began posting the new signs on March 1, 2016. For the first time in decades, the state was raising speed limits on some of eastern and central Oregon’s most …

Deadly Indiana Bus Stop Crash Highlights Daily Road Safety Issue

A fatal accident in northern Indiana that claimed the lives of three children attempting to board a school bus has been a wake-up call to Hoosier school districts, including those in rural areas, which are doubling up on safety awareness. …

Researchers Find ‘Smart’ Signs, Markers Help Prevent Wrong-Way Driving Crashes

Innovative traffic safety research from Florida State University, incorporating a fascinating mix of engineering and psychology, is being deployed on highways to save lives by targeting a deadly problem: wrong-way driving crashes. The statistics are alarming. Nationwide, wrong-way crashes kill …

States Continue Crackdown on Distracted Driving

Like many diligent public servants, Georgia state Representative Ed Setzler enjoys crowing about a nice, tidy highway project. In a Sept. 8 Facebook video, the Republican appeared to be doing just that from behind the wheel of a car. This …

Traffic Fatalities Fell in 2017, Trend May Continue This Year

Following two consecutive years of rising figures, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that 2017 highway fatality numbers are down. In addition, preliminary estimates for the first 6 months of 2018 appear to show that …