Filed under: Safety
Declining Highway Death Rate Challenges Distracted Driving Fears
The distracted driving debate is being marred by an overdose of hype and hysteria.
My weekend nearly got off to a disastrous start when a driver, busy texting, suddenly realized he was going to miss his exit. At the last possible moment, he slammed his brakes and surged across four lanes of traffic, avoiding the need to go a few miles out of the way - but nearly touching off a multi-car accident in the process.
We've all
seen the texters, the women putting on makeup, the guys checking their sports scores. Heck, a woman in Florida recently crashed while giving herself a bikini shave. But are we experiencing, as
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood puts it, "a deadly epidemic" of
distracted driving - one that can only be addressed by the most draconian of new laws?
There's no question that there are some things you just shouldn't be doing behind the wheel, and few would argue against the laws that many states have passed prohibiting motorists from texting while driving. But what other steps are needed? The latest federal data on highway fatalities suggests we've probably gone far enough - and that the distracted driving debate is being marred by an overdose of hype and hysteria.
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Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
[Image: Corbis]
Continue reading Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don't statistics show it?
Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don't statistics show it? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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08-04-2011, 02:10 AM
