Distracted Driving news demonstrates need for care

This week's U.S. Secretary of Transportation,Ray LaHood's blog continues to highlight distracted driving and its dangers for pedestrians:

"A couple of developments this week have me thinking about the dangers of distracted driving and the need for a second distracted driving summit.

First, earlier this week, the New York City Transportation Department released a study The New York Times said, "Offers unusual insights into the precarious life on the city’s streets, pinpointing where, when and why pedestrian accidents have most often occurred."

The report is filled with interesting data. But, for me the most pressing fact is that nearly 36% of crashes with pedestrian injuries or deaths involved driver inattention.

Also, this week I've read about a disturbing number of high-profile crashes killing drivers who were texting or talking on their cell phones."

The U.S. DOT is holding the second National Distracted Driving Summit on September 21, 2010, in Washington, DC. Secretary LaHood will convene leading transportation officials, safety advocates, law enforcement, industry representatives, researchers, and victims affected by distraction-related crashes to address challenges and identify opportunities for national anti-distracted driving efforts.

One of BikeWalkLee's local partners, Just Drive, Stay Alive!, headed by Jay Anderson, will be attending this important summit.

To learn more and get involved in the DOT’s efforts to stop distracted driving,
click on their website.