Distracted Driving
Streetsblog Basics
Ad Nauseam: Use Any App You Want While Driving — Because Safety!
Here's the latest in wishful thinking about distracted driving. A new application called "Drivemode" wants to make it easier for you to use all your mobile apps while you're behind the wheel -- but don't worry it's safe! Because, at least theoretically, you don't actually have to look at your phone.
October 10, 2014
Be Evil: Driving While Using Google Glass Should Be Legal, Says Google
Google Glass: Buying one will set you back $1,500. It makes even the most attractive people look ridiculous. It may or may not be the future of mobile technology.
February 28, 2014
Distracted Driving Is Claiming the Lives of More Pedestrians and Cyclists
Total traffic deaths have declined nationwide in recent years, but the same has not held true for the most vulnerable people on the streets: cyclists and pedestrians. In 2011, 130 more pedestrians were killed in traffic than the year before, a 3 percent increase, while 54 more people lost their lives while biking, an increase of 8 percent. The same year, overall traffic deaths declined 2 percent.
October 23, 2013
AAA: Hands-Free Devices Don’t Solve Distracted Driving Dangers
Distracted driving killed 3,331 people on American streets in 2011, yet car manufacturers continue to outdo each other to add more infotainment distractions in their vehicles. These systems are expected to increase five-fold by 2018, according to AAA. Carmakers seek to show their commitment to safety by making their distractions – onboard dinner reservation apps and social media, for example – hands-free. But a growing body of research indicates that there is no safe way to combine driving with tasks like dictating email or text messages.
June 17, 2013
Pretty Please: U.S. DOT Asks Carmakers to Limit Onboard Distractions
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's signature issue has been distracted driving. He's spent the last four years amplifying the heartbreaking voices of those who have suffered the consequences of this highly dangerous habit. The stories of the needless loss of so many people, especially children and teens, are tragic.
April 25, 2013
CDC: Americans Drive Distracted Waaaay More Than Brits
If you've been on a U.S. street anytime in the past few years, it comes as no surprise to hear that way too many Americans are yammering away on their cell phones -- or worse, OMG'ing and LOL'ing with their friends on text and email -- while driving. A new report from the CDC -- from their "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" -- shows just how bad the American habit is.
March 15, 2013
High-Stakes Testing: A Lesson in Texting While Driving
Here's a cool, funny, and genuinely effective public service announcement out of Belgium. According to Gizmodo, non-profit Responsible Young Drivers essentially pranked a bunch of people taking their drivers license exam. To pass, they were told, they'd have to show they could adequately send text messages while keeping control of the car.
May 2, 2012
CBS 2 Reporter Files Dispatch on Pedestrian Deaths While Driving Distracted
The distracted drivers over at CBS 2 News have outdone themselves. Even when the topic turns to pedestrian fatalities and the script does a decent job of describing the problem, the genius producers who brought you "Mobile 2" make their reporters file from a roving deathtrap with a satellite link.
March 8, 2012
DOT Issues Voluntary Guidelines for Driver-Distracting Electronics Systems
Distracted driving has become one of the U.S. Department of Transportation's banner issues under secretary Ray LaHood's tenure, with agencies launching safety programs and awareness campaigns aimed at preventing the practice. Last week, LaHood stepped into new territory by recommending that cars be built to automatically disable potentially distracting electronic devices when in motion.
February 21, 2012
Pitchfork-Wielding Consumers Hold Auto Industry Hostage!
It’s sad, really. Tremendous gains in vehicle fuel efficiency have been squandered, MIT’s Christopher Knittel demonstrates in a study published in the American Economic Review. Knittel’s analysis quantifies how, while automakers have applied meaningful fuel economy innovations over the past several decades, these have produced only modest gains in miles per gallon, because at the same time the companies inflated horsepower and vehicle size. As MIT’s press release put it:
January 18, 2012