Texting While Driving AKA Distracted Driving

Take out your wireless device. Read the last text message you sent or received aloud. Would reading or responding to that text message from behind the wheel be worth the risk of getting into a car accident or worse? The reality is that no message is so urgent that it is worth diverting attention from the wheel and risking lives in the process.

From the FCC:

Distracted Driving is Dangerous

The popularity of mobile devices has had some unintended and even dangerous consequences. We now know that mobile communications are linked to a significant increase in distracted driving, resulting in injury and loss of life. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2008 that driver distraction was the cause of 16 percent of all fatal crashes -- 5,800 people killed -- and 21 percent of crashes resulting in an injury -- 515,000 people wounded. According to the American Automobile Association, nearly 50 percent of teens admit to texting while driving. Distracted driving endangers life and property and the current levels of injury and loss are unacceptable.
To stem this problem, the FCC is working with industry, safety organizations, and other government agencies, to inform and educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving and is seeking to identify and facilitate the development of innovative technologies that could reduce the incidence of distracted driving. To help in this effort and share information, we created a dedicated website.