Posts Tagged ‘driving’

New research by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute shows that the risks associated with texting while driving is much more dangerous than previously thought. In fact, texters have a 23-fold increase in crash rate, compared to those who do not text. This was the first study to video tape drivers inside their vehicles to document this dangerous driving distraction. “In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices — enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.” Americans send out hundreds of billions of text messages each year. The number of those sent out while driving is unknown. However, motor vehicle accidents due to texting is increasingly becoming a large public health concern. [ via New York Times ]

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Did you know at any given time approximately ten percent of teenage drivers are either talking or texting on their cell phones? Studies have shown that drivers who use cell phones are four times as likely to be involved in a crash, which is why many states have already banned their use while driving. Now researchers at the University of Utah are taking the case one step further by developing a device which disables cell phone usage while the key is in the ignition. Dubbed “Key2SafeDriving” the device affixes to car keys and uses bluetooth radio waves to signal cell phones to go into “driving mode” so long as the key is in the ignition. While in driving mode, drivers cannot use their phones to talk or text, except for calling 911 or other numbers pre-approved by parents. Incoming calls and texts are automatically answered with a message saying, “I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely.”

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