New Efforts to Bring Awareness to the Dangers of Distracted

December 30, 2010 (Press-News.org) Technology is designed to make us better off. From the practical to entertainment, these advances in creature comforts are designed to make us more comfortable.

Such is the case with the telephone. Starting with the rotary and corded phones, advancement first gave us the wireless phone and the answering machine. Now we have cell phones that go everywhere and do most things that a computer can do. These amazing devices allow us to make calls from nearly anywhere, send text and picture messages, and even send and receive important emails.

However, if technology is misused, that technology can be a danger to us and those around us. Such is the case with the cell phone -- when used while driving.

In 2009 alone, nearly 5,500 people were killed in distracted driving accidents with nearly 448,000 more injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

"Faces of Distracted Driving"

In an effort to increase awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, the United States government, under the tutelage of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, is launching a new video campaign called "Faces of Distracted Driving" to tell the stories of those affected by distracted driving. The videos allow the injured and the loved ones of those killed or injured by a distracted driver to tell their stories of physical and emotional pain and suffering as a warning of the consequences of our choices.

Beyond statistics, the personal stories of grief and loss are hoped to have an impact on drivers. "[The video series] is an opportunity for some good to come out of something terribly tragic," expressed the president of the nonprofit FocusDriven, Jennifer Smith.

Other Efforts to Curb Distracted Driving

- A number of television stations in South Carolina are airing a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) about the dangers of distracted driving. The PSA is shows the possible consequences of distracted driving: a fatal motor vehicle accident. While PSAs are nothing new to American television, this one has some cringing at its graphic nature. So graphic in fact, that some television stations refuse to air the PSA.

- Beyond the new ad campaign, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is looking into technology that would scramble cell phones while in the car, preventing the driver and possibly passengers from using a cell phone in the vehicle. The technology would essentially do what ad campaigns are trying to do: save lives by stopping distracted driving caused by cell phones.

With this much focus on the dangers posed by cell phone use in the car, we should all reevaluate our own driving habits. It's not just us as the driver or our passengers that are put into danger by our driving habits, its other drivers, people out for a walk and kids waiting on the corner for the school bus.

If you have been injured by or lost a loved one in an accident involving a distracted driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your rights and legal options.

Article provided by Grandy & Martin P.A. Attorneys at Law
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