"Faces of Distracted Driving" Campaign Aims to Curb an Epidemic

January 06, 2011

Grieving parents, abandoned children, widows and widowers, lonely siblings -- these are the people affected by the distracted driving epidemic. United States Department of Transportation Secretary (USDOT) Ray LaHood has given them a face with a revolutionary new program designed to get the word out about the hazards of not keeping your attention on the road while driving. The program, aptly titled "Faces of Distracted Driving," gives those who have suffered injury or loss because of a distraction-related accident a forum to tell their stories in a confessional format. It is designed, according to nonprofit advocate Jennifer Smith (head of FocusDriven, an organization that encourages cell phone-free driving), as an opportunity to let "some good come out of something terribly tragic."

Offering Hope for the Future

Secretary La Hood praises the personalized approach, indicating that he himself only became aware of the true impact that distracted driving has on the everyday lives of countless Americans because of the personal stories of loss that were shared with him by people around the country. Going even further, David Teater -- in charge of transportation programs with the National Safety Council -- says that he feels the "Faces of Distracted Driving" campaign is a powerful one because it touches people in a way that statistics, data or scientific evidence simply cannot.

Secretary LaHood hopes that the "Faces of Distracted Driving" program will succeed where statutes to prevent text messaging (currently on the books in 30 states), behind-the-wheel cell phone bans (enforced in eight states and for all federal employees) and other public service programs have failed. The hope is that, by taking the anonymity out of the distracted driving epidemic, people will stop and think about the possible consequences that their actions could have, realizing that their text messaging or otherwise using a cell phone, chatting, e-mailing, eating, drinking, or changing the music selection while they should be focusing their attention on the road ahead could have on someone else's life.

Clearly, there is data available to show the impact of distracted driving: nearly 6,000 people were killed and more than 500,000 were injured in 2008 in motor vehicle accidents involving driver distractions. The injured and killed were drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists. They were young and old, children and adults, and covered all economic strata and social class. Statistics show that distracted driving is an equal-opportunity killer, yet it still happens countless times every day.

Can Other Approaches Help As Well?

The "Faces of Distracted Driving" campaign comes at a time when technological advances are also rising to meet the challenges presented by distracted drivers. Many different methods have either been developed or are in the works, including technology designed to:
- Prevent a driver from talking, texting or e-mailing while behind the wheel by disabling cell phone reception once the car reaches a particular speed, with an exception being made for emergency calls
- Automatically avert all incoming calls to voicemail and send an auto-populated reply to incoming texts stating that the person is driving and will return messages when time permits
- Allowing voice-controlled technologies like Ford Motors' "Sync" system and GM's "OnStar" to give drivers the functionality of cell phone conversations, texts and e-mails without the need for them to take their hands off the wheel or their eyes off the road

Once fully developed, technologies like the "Sync" and "OnStar" systems will employ voice-recognition software to both read and write text messages, something that, in and of itself, is splitting road safety advocates. On the one hand, there are those who say that any use of "communicative technology" like cell phones (even hands-free) or voice-only text messages is distracting because it causes what some have termed "cognitive overload," making it impossible for a driver's full attention to be front-facing like it needs to be. Others, those who are in favor of only prohibiting devices that are not hands-free, say that, since people are not deterred by legal consequences like statutory bans, technology that makes the practices of talking and texting behind the wheel safer should be embraced.

Regardless of which side of the distracted driving debate you are on, one thing is clear: the issue is not going away. People will continue to engage in the dangerous behaviors of talking, texting, eating, drinking, e-mailing or grooming while behind the wheel, and those same people will continue to cause accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a distracted driving-related accident, you should seek the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney in your area to learn more about your legal rights and options.

Article provided by Bohrer Law Firm, LLC
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