September 02, 2010 (Press-News.org) Nationwide, distracted driving results in nearly 6,000 deaths and over 500,000 injuries every year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. In Minnesota, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports that driver distraction is a leading factor in 25 percent of all accidents, resulting in 70 deaths and 350 injuries every year.
A Focus on Education and Enforcement
In an effort to better address the issue of distracted driving, DPS recently launched a new enforcement and educational campaign. Minnesota has recently adopted a Distracted Driver Awareness day. This day is called "Distraction Free Day." Law enforcement agencies throughout Minnesota participated in the campaign by increasing patrols and enforcement measures designed to limit driver distraction from cell phones, text messaging and other forms of distracted driving. The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety is also increasing radio and print public service announcements throughout the year to educate drivers about the deadly dangers of distracted driving.
These campaigns are part of the larger Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) traffic safety program, a partnership of numerous nationwide traffic and law enforcement agencies. The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce the number of traffic deaths to fewer than 400 in 2010. In 2009, there were 421 traffic fatalities in Minnesota; 70 lives could have prevented if the driver's were not distracted while driving.
Types of Distractions
According to distraction.gov, a website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, distracted driving comes in three main forms.
- Visual - taking your eyes off the road
- Cognitive - losing concentration
- Manual - taking your hands off the wheel
The USDOT cites texting while driving as one of the most dangerous activities a person can do in a vehicle because it involves taking your eyes off the road, losing concentration on driving and taking your hands off the wheel. Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a ban on texting while driving into law in 2008, making Minnesota one of the first states to enact such a ban. Nationwide, thirty states will have texting bans in place by the end of 2010 according to the Governor's Highway Safety Association.
In addition, teenage drivers under 18 years of age are prohibited from using a cell phone at any time in Minnesota. A recent survey by AAA notes that 9 out of 10 teenage drivers will send or receive text messages or talk on a cell phone while driving, despite knowing that this behavior increases the risk of causing a collision that could result in injury to another person.
Article provided by Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A.
Visit us at www.milavetzlaw.com
Minnesota's New Campaign to Cut Down on Distracted Driving
In Minnesota, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports that driver distraction is a leading factor in 25 percent of all accidents, resulting in 70 deaths and 350 injuries every year.
2010-09-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New Law Protects New York Bicyclists from Passing Motor Vehicles
2010-09-02
Beginning on November 1, bicyclists throughout New York can breathe a little easier when cycling down the state's roadways. This past August, Gov. David Paterson signed into law a bill requiring motorists to maintain a "safe distance" when passing bike riders.
The bill added section 1122-A to New York's Traffic Law, which reads:
The operator of a vehicle overtaking from behind a bicycle proceeding on the same side of a roadway shall pass to the left of such bicycle at a safe distance until safely clear thereof.
Drivers who violate the law will be cited at minimum ...
Taking a Summer Road Trip? Be Aware of Other States' Laws
2010-09-02
As summer vacation comes to a close, families are packing up their cars one last time to bring the kids on the road before school starts. While taking a road trip to another state offers the promise of adventure, the wise traveler will understand ahead of time the potential risks and what to do in case of an accident.
Driving Laws Vary by State
Each state passes its own driving laws, rather than having them determined by the federal government. In this age of easy travel from state to state, however, that can be confusing for some drivers. From whether it's OK to ...
Privatizing Building Inspections: Creating Premises Liability Issues?
2010-09-02
One major impact of the Great Recession has been a reduction in revenue to many municipalities and other local government entities. Town boards, city councils and county commissioners around the country face tough choices when it comes to delivering services to residents and businesses within their jurisdictions. A recent example in New Jersey could end up causing more problems than it solves.
New Jersey's Gloucester Township recently laid off all six of its building inspectors and is accepting bids from private contractors to handle review and inspections for all building, ...
Debenhams Announces Chandelier Sales Soaring Despite Recession
2010-09-02
High street store Debenhams have revealed that home owners, eager to lift the gloom of the recession, have created the most unlikely shopping boom of all time - highly ornate chandeliers.
Once the preserve of the rich and well-to-do, demand for the big, ever more elaborate, multi-bulb light fittings has been soaring ever since the first financial tremor hit the stock markets two years ago.
Sales have increased with every successive bit of bad news, to reach an all time high this week, says Debenhams. Customer demand for this type of home lighting has led the store ...
Superbreak Reports Surge in Demand for Rail Theatre Break Packages
2010-09-02
Superbreak, the theatre break specialist, has reported a sharp increase in the number of rail inclusive theatre breaks being booked, on the run up to the busiest theatre season of the year.
The Yorkshire-based tour operator has secured a number of budget and top price theatre tickets for a host of musicals and performances in London's West End as the autumn season approaches. What sets Superbreak apart from its competition is the ability for customers to tailor-make their breaks by adding a return rail journey from most UK mainline stations, including Edinburgh, Manchester ...
Prudential Reveals 1 in 3 UK Couples Know Nothing About Their Partner's Finances
2010-09-02
Prudential has revealed new research that shows UK couples could be risking poverty in old age because they are failing to talk to one another about financial planning for their retirement.
The study found that nearly a third of couples (32 per cent) aged 40 and above but not yet retired* say they don't know or understand the details of their partner's retirement savings, with more than a fifth (22 per cent) saying they have never talked to their partner about financial planning for retirement.
The findings from new research commissioned by Prudential reveal that ...
Thistle Named First Hotel Group to Achieve Full Hospitality Assured Accreditation
2010-09-02
Thistle has announced it is the first hotel group to be acknowledged with full Hospitality Assured accreditation throughout its entire portfolio having surpassed the strict assessment criteria within all of its hotels across the UK, a quarter of which achieving the highly-regarded 'world class' status.
Measuring the quality and service of customer facing businesses specifically within the leisure and tourism industry, the Hospitality Assured accreditation is recognition of the group's high standards across its portfolio of excellently-located properties.
Created ...
RelyLocal of Newport-Mesa and Locale Magazine Co-Sponsor Local Author at Orange County Children's Book Festival
2010-09-02
RelyLocal and Locale Magazine announced today that they are co-sponsoring longtime Costa Mesa resident and local author Derek Sabori at the Orange County Children's Book Festival and donating a portion of RelyLocal's proceeds in October and November to help fund the Festival in 2011.
RelyLocal, which recently launched in the Newport-Mesa area as a grassroots campaign to support local businesses with a unique small business marketing platform, has created a strategic relationship with the expanding Orange County lifestyle magazine Locale to create co-op advertising opportunities, ...
Wine 2.0 Young Collector's Night @ ART SAN DIEGO Saturday Sept 4th 6PM-8PM
2010-09-02
Wine 2.0, the innovator in social networking and events in the wine industry has joined forces with ART SAN DIEGO 2010, to bring world class wineries to complement amazing works of art from around the world.
Wine 2.0 Young Collector's Night @ ART SAN DIEGO 2010 will take place September 4, 2010, from 6PM-8PM at the upscale Hilton San Diego Bay Front Hotel. More than 50 galleries will showcase paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, videos, and cutting-edge multimedia artworks. The showcase includes over 2,000 works of art and wines from the following wineries: ...
Walkup Law Office Says the DePuy ASR Hip Implant Cup Failed Long Before Expected and Advertised
2010-09-02
DePuy's ASR acetabular cup spent just over 5 years on the American market. In that time, DePuy sold over 90,000 ASR cups patients through their doctors. After hundreds of reports of failure and loosening of the ASR cup, as well as warnings from leading physicians, and a growing number of lawsuits, DePuy finally decided to recall its defective ASR acetabular cup on August 26, 2010.
On the American market, the history of the DePuy ASR cup goes back to March 2004 when DePuy started a process known as "510(k)" approval. This type of FDA clearance only requires a medical ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Investigating charge behavior in multilayer OLEDs using a laser spectroscopic technique
What rattlesnake venom can teach us about evolution: New USF study
A new druggable cancer target: RNA-binding proteins on the cell surface
MIT engineers print synthetic “metamaterials” that are both strong and stretchy
Bacteria killing material creates superbug busting paint
Therapist in your pocket
The antisemitic wave is calming – yet levels remained significantly higher than before the war
Current AI risks more alarming than apocalyptic future scenarios
Generative AI masters the art of scent creation
Empathy might be retained in Alzheimer’s disease
New research from Child Development shows fostering a warm home environment leads to young people’s beliefs that the world is safe
How do parental leave policies affect mothers’ decisions to become entrepreneurs?
Researchers identify a key biological mechanism that promotes healthy aging
Which patient characteristics might contribute to poor recovery after hip replacement surgery?
Do traumatic events predict eating disorders among Palestinians?
Does anemia during pregnancy affect newborns’ risk of heart defects?
How does climate policy uncertainty affect energy stock returns?
World on course to trigger multiple climate ‘tipping points’ unless action accelerates
Research on genetic differences in men's and women's health awarded
Police officers fire more shots than civilians in homicides, research shows
People turn to conspiracy theories in a subconscious quest to feel like they ‘matter’, research suggests
Alliance presents project cure CRC poster sessions at AACR Annual Meeting & awards new grants to accelerate progress
Family dynamics shape body image differently across cultures
Crystal clear design for high-performance flexible thermoelectric semiconductor
Detecting lung cancer 4 months earlier at the GP using artificial intelligence
Safer opioid supply improves health outcomes among people at high risk of overdose
Micronanoplastics found in artery-clogging plaque in the neck
TOS statement on oral GLP-1s
Pulmonary fibrosis has no cure. Could a cancer drug hold the answer?
Trial explores drug-free approach to treat ADHD symptoms in children exposed to alcohol before birth
[Press-News.org] Minnesota's New Campaign to Cut Down on Distracted DrivingIn Minnesota, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports that driver distraction is a leading factor in 25 percent of all accidents, resulting in 70 deaths and 350 injuries every year.