A Blueprint for Safer Roads

On June 7th, the US Department of Transportation released it’s Blueprint For Ending Distracted Driving campaign.  The blueprint builds on the national momentum that has been spearheaded for the last three years and outlines steps everyone can take, including:

• Encouraging the remaining 11 states without distracted driving laws to enact and enforce this critical legislation;

• Challenging the auto industry to adopt new and future guidelines that reduce the potential for distractions on devices built or brought into vehicles;
• Partnering with driver education professionals to add new materials that educate novices about driver distraction and its consequences;
• Providing everyone with actions they can take to help end distracted driving on America’s roadways.

Despite its progress in the past three year of raising awareness about this risky behavior, the simple fact is people are continuing to be killed and injured. In 2010, at least 3,092 people were killed on our nation’s roads in distraction-affected crashes. That’s approximately one in every ten fatalities, and we can put an end to it. The DOT’s “Faces of Distracted Driving” video series has made it clear with painful testimony of the tragis costs of distraction and an impassioned plea that “Safe driving starts with you.”