DOT Opens Two-Day National Summit on Distracted Driving
Department of Transportation Wednesday opened its two-day national summit on distracted driving, with panels of state, federal and other officials as well as interested and affected parties speaking on issues around cell phone use and texting by drivers.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called the summit to address a variety of safety concerns largely being addressed by states, who are instituting text bans. Maryland is the latest, with a ban on texting and driving to take effect Thursday.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have passed laws making texting while driving illegal and seven states and the district have banned driving while talking on a handheld cell phone, the Associated Press reported. Many safety groups have urged a nationwide ban on texting and on using handheld mobile devices while behind the wheel.
LaHood, slated to be the final speaker at the conference at its close Thursday afternoon, said he wants the meeting to set “the stage for finding ways to eliminate texting while driving,” the Associated Press reported.
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By Transport Topics
