U.S. Proposes Plan to End Distracted Driving

The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has rolled out a plan to discourage distracted driving that features a variety of voluntary initiatives rather than federal regulations.

DOT Secretary Ray LaHood tells reporters, "We need everyone to do their part." The department's recommendations encourage all states to ban texting while driving (39 states have already done so) and urges carmakers to come up with their own guidelines and develop technologies that reduce distraction.

The DOT plan also pledges support for educational programs about the dangers of distracted driving, especially for young drivers. Drivers under the age of 25 are two to three times as likely as older drivers to text or e-mail while driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

LaHood notes that a pilot program in Hartford, Conn., last year that more rigorously enforced driver distraction laws reduced texting while driving by 72%. He says DOT will spend $2.4 million to fund similar pilot programs in California and Delaware later this year.

LaHood also urges Congress to pass unspecified stricter laws about distracted driving perhaps including a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones while driving.

The DOT says about one in 10 traffic fatalities in 2010 at least 3,100 resulted from crashes that involved distracted driving.