Items tagged with Driving
Hopping in a vehicle today to get from point A to point B? Realize this: we're currently in the midst of an uptick in vehicle-related deaths, so it's never been more important to be cautious and keep your eyes on other drivers. This past week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report that sums up the first 9 months of 2015 in traffic deaths, and the trend is a little disconcerting. It's found that in the first three quarters between 2014 and 2015, the number of deaths rose 9.3%, and in particular, the growth in the third quarter alone (versus the previous third quarter) is 11.3%. Current estimates put the first three quarters of 2015 at 26,000 deaths, and if that average...
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Despite the dangers of drunk driving being well-documented, there continue to be about 10,000 drunk driving-related fatalities in the United States each year. Sometimes, it's the drunk driver that's killed, and other times it's innocent people in the other vehicle, or pedestrians. Sometimes, it's both. The important thing is that the numbers are high enough where more has to be done, because it's clear that not everyone cares as much about drunk driving as they should. What that reality could result in is our new cars being outfitted with technology used to detect whether or not we're impaired. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has just revealed its latest technology,...
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Go ahead and check one more state off the list of where you're not allowed to text message while driving. New Mexico is catching up with the majority of the country with a ban intended to prevent distracted driving that goes into effect tomorrow (Tuesday), after which offenders will be hit with a $25 fine for the first violation and $50 fine for subsequent infractions. New Mexico's ban states that a person shall not read or view a text or manually type on a mobile communication device while driving a motor vehicle, the only exception being to contact emergency help. The law applies to all drivers. "A lot of vehicle complaints we receive about people being drunk, when we contact them, they aren't...
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Should drivers be allowed to wear Google Glass while operating a motor vehicle? That's one of the questions politicians face as a growing number of states seek to pass legislation that would make it illegal to wear Google's head-mounted display while driving. Proponents of such bills claim that wearables like Google Glass can be distractions and could lead to accidents. According to Reuters, no less than eight states are considering regulation of Google Glass, and this figures to be a hot topic for months to come. Legislatures in three other states -- New York, Maryland, and West Virginia -- have already introduced similar bills. Image Source: Flickr (jurvetson) Meanwhile, Google is fighting...
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Anyone who has ever tried texting and driving at the same time should take note of a video released by police in Fort Meyers, Florida. The short video clip, which was taken from a police cruiser, shows a car veering off the side of the road and narrowly missing a telephone pole before ramming into a tree and flipping over. According to ABC News, the driver wasn't seriously hurt, and fortunately it appears there were no pedestrians or other motorists involved in the crash. The driver was texting while driving, which caused him to lose control of his vehicle and ultimately end up starring in a warning video. Here's a look: Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. There have been several...
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Get used to hearing the term "Text Stop" because it's a real thing now. New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the creation of special "Texting Zones" where motorists can pull off the road and safely respond to that all-important text message that just can't wait. The initiative is an ambitious effort to reduce the prominence of distracted driving due to texting while behind the wheel, which some studies have shown is even more deadly than drinking and driving. Existing Park-n-Ride facilities, rest stops, and another parking areas along New York's Thruway and Highways will serve dual-functions as Texting Zones, with signage placed along the highway to let drivers know how close they are...
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"It can wait." It has become a fairly popular phrase, and almost anyone in the smartphone universe would recognize that as the universal slogan for "don't text and drive." Plenty of crashes and accidents have happened due to motorists being distracted by their phones while attempting to drive, and in fact, many places have pretty hefty fines for doing just that. However, new research may shed a little light on what has been taken as a given. A report out of Carnegie Mellon University and the London School of Economics and Political Science suggests that "talking on a cellphone while driving does not increase crash risk." "Using a cellphone while driving may be distracting, but it does not lead...
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The problem with trying to send and receive text messages while operating a vehicle is that your eyes are zeroed in on a mobile phone instead of the road where they belong. Voice-to-text apps that offer hands-free texting seem like an obvious solution, but new research suggests that such software offers no real safety advantage over manual texting. That revelation came courtesy of a study conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) that was sponsored by the Southwest Region University Transportation Center. The study, which is supposedly a first of its kind, examined the performance of 43 research participants driving a vehicle on a close course. Similar research exists in relation...
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Thinking about punching in updated directions on your smartphone while cruising in California? Think again. Over the years, states have been marching towards a highway system that's devoid of any texting, phone holding, etc. And that's a good thing, given that distracted driving can (and does) lead to far too many accidents. But if you're a smartphone owners, chances are high that you've taken a risk a time or two by punching in new directions on a GPS app while still in motion, or perhaps at a stoplight if you're one of the dutiful citizens of the road. Now, however, a court ruling in California is making it illegal to use a mobile phone to check a GPS program. In other words, it may soon be...
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Well, you can't exactly say that you didn't see this coming. Google Glass has raised awareness from the tech-savvy crowd all the way to the mainstream, and while a lot of folks on the cutting edge are keenly interested in seeing how Glass changes our world for the better, there are plenty of skeptics out there who can't wait to pass judgement. Already, a bar in Washington state has said that they will not allow patrons wearing Glass as a way to protect the privacy of its other guests, and now, a legislator in West Virginia has already proposed a law that would make it illegal to drive while wearing a Glass headset. Good thing it's not a law already, as a number of people deep within Google have...
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There's a good chance you've seen a fellow motorist drifting over into a neighboring lane, only to later discover he or she is texting while driving 3,500 pounds of steel and glass (as a point of reference, a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco weighs 3,650 pounds). It's an all-too familiar sight, and unfortunately, mobile device use while driving is most common in the U.S. That's according to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC researchers analyzed data from the 2011 EuroPNStyles and HealthStyles surveys and found that 69 percent of U.S. drivers talked on their cell phone while driving within 30 days before they were surveyed, versus 21 percent of drivers...
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Texting and driving, even tweeting and driving, or just-about-to-fall-asleep and driving -- either way, it's a big problem. Tobii Technology knows it, and this week they're introducing a new platform for drowsiness and distraction detection in driver safety systems. The platform, based on Tobii's advanced eye tracking technology, provides a reliable solution to enhance current driver safety systems and increase public safety on roadways. "As the demands for more effective driver safety systems continue to increase globally, we are pleased to offer a platform that can be a game-changer for automakers that are driving innovation and seeking to offer the ultimate in safety and driver satisfaction,"...
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Just about everyone should know by now that texting and driving, or even calling and driving, is a poor idea. Loads of wrecks happen each and everyday because of distracted drivers messing around with their cellphone, but it's not just phones that are causing problems. Radios have also long since been blamed for wrecks, as have noisy passengers. But one thing that has managed to stay out of this evil cycle of news until now is the iPod. Notice we said, "until now?" AA Insurance in the UK has just published a report that blames around 17 accidents per day in England on digital music players. The study states that these players are causing drivers to drive into "iPod oblivion," where they are so...
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A recent report showed adults are just as likely as teens to text message while driving. That may not be all that surprising, but a new report is: it shows that half of mothers text message while driving. The survey, conducted by by BOHAN Advertising for its WhyMomsRule.com blog, show that among mothers with text messaging service on their cell phones, 49 percent admit to reading or writing text messages while driving. Not just that, the moms did so with their kids in the car. The survey shows what's wrong with drivers: lack of common sense. Without legislation, or in fact, even with legislation, people think it's OK to text while driving. While statistics actually have shown disappointing results...
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We've heard (no pun intended) of hybrid and electric cars designed to make noise, so that blind pedestrians don't get run over by them, but how about a car designed for blind people to drive it? That's what Virginia Tech and the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) have come up with. The plan is to demonstrate the vehicle, a modified Ford Escape hybrid, at the famous Daytona International Speedway track next year, as part of the pre-race activities at the 2011 Rolex 24 on January 29, 2011. Last summer, the team demonstrated a first-generation prototype, a modified dune buggy. The NFB issued its Blind Driver Challenge in 2004. Virginia Tech accepted that challenge, and as Dr. Dennis Hong, Director...
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It seems impossible to escape advertising, and California, looking for any possible way to close its budget gap, may make it still more difficult. The state is considering electronic license plates. The reason for the digital-age change, though, is strictly monetary: advertising. The plates would appear to be standard license plates when the vehicle is moving, but when the vehicle is stopped for more than four seconds, either in traffic or at a stop light, would switch to digital messages. The number wouldn't vanish completely; it would still be visible in the corner of the plate. In emergencies, the license plates could be used to broadcast Amber Alerts, traffic information, or emergency instructions....
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Teenagers are usually pointed to as the prime miscreants when it comes to texting while driving. Not so fast, says Pew Research. Adults text while driving, too. The results of the report are somewhat shocking: adults are just as likely to text as teens, and more likely than teens to talk on a cell phone while driving. That second point perhaps isn't so shocking, as past surveys have found that teens text more, and talk less, on their cell phones. It does show that adults are taking a "do as I say, not as I do" attitude toward texting while driving. A poll published last year indicated that 89 percent of adults feel texting while driving is dangerous, and that they would support a ban. It is also...
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We've all heard about the dangers of texting while driving. Study after study has shown the dangers and many organizations and states have responded with attempts to ban drivers from using their phones to send messages while behind the wheel. At the CTIA Wireless 2010 show, Safe Driving Systems plans to show off a new way to prevent texting while driving called Key2SafeDriving. Key2SafeDriving is a combination of handset software and a "plug-and-forget Activator" that is installed in your car. Key2SafeDriving activates when the car starts. It puts your phone into Safe Driving Mode and disables the phone's ability to send or receive calls or text messages. Incoming calls are sent directly to voicemail...
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Ready for a real shocker? That texting and driving habit you've been trying to kick may not be as bad for you as the insurance companies have led you to believe. Of course, we would still recommend putting the phone down while you're driving (we're speaking for all those cars around you, for the record), but an interesting new survey has unearthed some unexpected results.For years, we've seen state after state ban texting and driving after being told by insurance company-funded surveys that it significantly increases the risk of a crash. And frankly, it makes sense. Doing anything other than driving while attempting to drive is probably not in the best interest of personal safety. At any rate,...
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Texting and driving is already illegal for citizens in a number of US states, but now commercial truckers and bus drivers are also going to be included on the "do not text and drive" list. The Department of Transportation enacted a new rule this week that bars those classes of drivers from texting while operating their vehicle, which will probably lead to all sorts of other legislation in the coming months and years.This is actually a pretty major decision, but it sort of feels like an obvious one. Should truckers and drivers of buses that hold dozens of children be doing anything at the wheel other than driving? Not in our mind. We're kind of surprised it took this long to get a rule passed...
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Wait a second, a wireless operator advocating against texting and driving? Is 2012 upon us already? In a move that can only be seen as a ploy to generate some positive PR, Verizon Wireless has just launched a Don't Text And Drive ad campaign, despite that fact that the sending and receiving of text messages is incredibly lucrative for carriers (so long as that person doesn't abuse their unlimited plan, of course).Of course, this is a hot topic of late, with lots and lots of entities stepping out to get the message across that texting and driving is incredibly risky. Dan Mead, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Verizon Wireless, said the "Don't Text and Drive" campaign begins...
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AAA and the government are working on plans to ban texting while driving. Now, there's a new product for cell phones that lets you ban yourself, employees, or kids from texting while driving. Mobile technology developer TXTBlocker has created a product for cell phones that lets owners disable texting and other functions while the user is driving. TXTBlocker makes it possible for parents and employers to customize cell phones to disable texting functions, block certain numbers, or only permit incoming and outgoing calls to predefined "safe lists" or emergency numbers. TXTBlocker uses proprietary velocity and geographic algorithms. In addition to preventing dangerous use while driving, users can...
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