Yesterday, the U.S. Transportation Department reported that the number of people killed in automobile crashes relating to driver distraction declined last year, but the problem remains an epidemic for motorists in the United States.
The Transportation Department said 5,474 people were killed in 2009 in crashes which involved distracted driving ~ a 6% decline from the 5,838 people killed in 2008. Distraction-related deaths accounted for 16% of all traffic fatalities in 2009, the same percentage as in 2008. The latest data came as the overall number of highway deaths dropped in 2009 to its lowest level since 1950.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the problem of drivers failing to keep their eyes on the road ~ often due to operating cell phones, mobile devices, or other forms of distraction ~ remains an epidemic. He also said that the data could be the "tip of the iceberg," because many police reports don't document whether distraction was a factor in vehicle crashes, making it difficult to know the full scope of the problem. Today, Mr. LaHood is kicking off a second national summit on distracted driving. He has pushed all states to adopt tougher laws against texting while driving & other forms of distractions.
Sixteen percent of drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. Young drivers were the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes compared to people of other ages.
The Obama administration has prohibited federal employees from texting while driving on government business, and also has banned commercial bus and truck drivers from texting behind the wheel.
Thirty states & the District of Columbia prohibit drivers from texting behind the wheel. Eight states have passed laws barring drivers from using hand-held cell phones. Legislation is pending in Congress to force all states to ban texting while driving.
A. Jason Kerckhoff is a serious injury lawyer and the President of Kerckhoff Law, APC, a San Diego personal injury and wrongful death law firm dedicated to representing people who have been seriously injured or killed, and the families of loved ones who have suffered death caused by the negligence of another.
A. Jason Kerckhoff has been successfully obtaining excellent results for his clients for more than twenty-five years. He has the highest rating in Martindale-Hubbell, which is the preeminent company that rates attorneys not only for their abilities, but for their ethics. These ratings are obtained by peers in the legal community, and a small percentage of lawyers are privileged to have achieved this rating.
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