Combating Distracted Driving

According to a Triple-A poll, 94 percent of teen drivers understand the dangers of texting while driving. The U.S. Department of Transportation states that in 2014, 3,179 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers. This important volume focuses on the issue of distracted driving. The book describes exactly what distracted driving is and how to prevent it. It provides several anecdotes describing various distracted driving behavior.

A Practical Resource for Understanding, Preventing, and Managing Driver Distraction It is estimated that up to 23 percent of crashes and near-crashes are caused by driver distraction, and these figures will likely increase as more and more distractions, both inside and outside the vehicle, compete for driver attention. Driver Distraction: Theory, Effects, and Mitigation gives a comprehensive overview of this issue, outlining the underlying theory of distraction, its effects on driving performance and safety, strategies for mitigating its effects, and directions for future research. It also brings together the wide array of literature on the topic into one, all-inclusive volume. Includes Recommendations for Managing Distractions in the Technological Age This comprehensive volume reviews the full range of distracting activities that occur while driving, and available ergonomic methods, guidelines, and checklists for the measurement and mitigation of driver distraction. It also recommends ways to manage distraction through enhanced data collection and analysis, driver education and training, driver licensing, legislation and enforcement, vehicle design, road design, company policies, and future research. Beneficial for a broad audience, including: Vehicle manufacturers Road transport authorities and safety agencies Traffic and transport engineers Automotive equipment manufacturers and suppliers Company safety managers Standards organizations Transport safety research agencies This work comes at a critical time when road safety authorities are just beginning to recognize the importance of driver distraction as a road safety issue. With balanced and practical guidance, it aims to prevent driver distraction from escalating into an even more significant problem.

Investigates the emerging problem of driver distraction while using cell phones and the available and proposed solutions.

Addiction to cell phones has made distracted driving a national epidemic. State patrol officers who deal with crashes every day see the phone as the new "open bottle" in the car that makes drivers impaired and dangerous. Add phones and other devices to the many types of distraction we already face--from tuning the radio to drinking coffee behind the wheel--and we have a crisis. But this crisis can be totally avoided if drivers make the right choice, the safe choice. One Split Second can help drivers make that best choice. This book is a one-of-a-kind resource that brings together real-life stories, facts and figures, fascinating research about our behavior behind the wheel, and expert perspectives on how we can end the distraction epidemic. It is a book no driver can live without.

The increasing use of cellular phones has served as a catalyst for growing interest in driver distraction in recent years. While the use of cellular phones poses a significant and increasing risk to roadway safety, studies show that it represents a relatively small proportion of a bigger distraction program. This book examines current knowledge on driver distraction to help state and local governments formulate effective policies, regulations and laws relating to this challenging issue.

From a public health perspective, motor vehicle crashes are among the most serious problems facing teenagers. Even after more than six months of being licensed to drive alone, teens are two to three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than are the more experienced drivers. Crash rates are significantly higher for male drivers, and young people in the United States are at greater risk of dying or being injured in an automobile than their peers around the world. In fact, in 2003 motor vehicle crashes was the leading cause of death for youth ages 16-20 in the United States. Understanding how and why teen motor vehicle crashes happen is key to developing countermeasures to reduce their number. Applying this understanding to the development of prevention strategies holds significant promise for improving safety but many of these efforts are thwarted by a lack of evidence as to which prevention strategies are most effective. Preventing Teen Motor Crashes presents data from a multidisciplinary group that shared information on emerging technology for studying, monitoring, and controlling driving behavior. The book provides an overview of the factual information that was presented, as well as the insights that emerged about the role researchers can play in reducing and preventing teen motor crashes.