An Iowa study concluded drivers make at least 20 decisions for every mile they drive; so when you drive distracted it’s a foregone conclusion that sooner or later you will cause an accident. The Iowa DOT makes several suggestions for drivers to drive safer. They include turning off your cell phone. Dah!

The Iowa DOT also publishes a teen driving guide that provides parents with rules for safe teen driving. I’m carrying it on the Lombardi Law Firm website. See Teen Driving Responsibilities.

• Rule 1: Put it down!
• Rule 2: Absolutely no alcohol!
• Rule 3: Always buckle up!
• Rule 4: have the car in the driveway by the designated time!
• Rule 5: no more than one passenger in the car at all times (or zero passengers if the state’s GDL law doesn’t permit any).
• Rule 6: Follow your state’s GDL laws!
• Rule 7: Follow the house rules or face the consequences!

And what are mobile communication devices that can distract drivers? Take a look at the long list of distraction devices from the DOT website. You just might be surprised about the number of distractions. Remember those 20 decisions you are making every mile you drive.

Facts and statistics

Know the facts

Each year in Iowa, an average of 400 people die in motor vehicle crashes; far too many. Learn about two of the riskiest driving behaviors – distracted driving and not wearing a seat belt.

• Operators of all type of vehicles used to transport people and freight can easily be distracted by text messaging.
• The number one source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device. (Source: Virginia Tech/NHTSA)
• What is a mobile communication device?
  There are lots of different types of mobile communication devices. These are a few examples.
• Mobile phone
• Cellular telephone
• Smartphone
• Pager
• Personal digital assistant (PDA)
• Mobile E-mail device

                What is a mobile electronic entertainment device?
Here are just a few examples.

• Portable media player
• E-book reader
• Game console
• Tablet PC
• Carputer
• iPad
• mp3 player
• DVD
• Mobile TV
• iPod
• Laptop computer

                According to CTIA (The International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry), Americans sent more than 1.5 trillion text messages last year — or 5 billion text messages per day.

                What are the three main types of driver distraction?

• Visual – taking your eyes off the road
• Manual – taking you hands of the wheel
• Cognitive – taking your mind off what you are doing

                Federal Railroad Administration's Emergency Order 26 restricts the improper use of certain electronic and electrical devices by railroad operating employees, including talking on cell phones and texting.

                Six serious train accidents occurred between May 2002 and September 2008 in the United States that were caused by distracted operators using electronic devices.

                Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations prohibit commercial motor vehicle operators from texting and driving.

                A person convicted of violating the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulation prohibiting commercial motor vehicle drivers from texting while driving may be subject to civil and criminal penalties up to $2,750 per occurrence.

                Federal Aviation Administration’s Sterile Cockpit rule prohibits pilots from engaging in any type of distracting behavior during critical phases of flight, including take-off and landing.

                Pedestrians distracted by cell phone calls and text messages risk deadly encounters when entering a crosswalk, crossing the street or railroad tracks, and walking in the vicinity of cars, trains and buses.

                Texting takes your eyes off the road an average of five seconds at a time. At 55 mph, that is like driving the length of a football field – completely blind.
(Virginia Tech Transportation Institute research, available at www.vtti.vt.edu)

                Texting while driving is like driving after having four beers.
(Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver, available at http://dwiwatch.org/cell-phone-texting.php)

                Texting makes drivers 23 times more likely to crash.
(Virginia Tech Transportation Institute research, available at www.vtti.vt.edu)

                Texting results in car crashes that kill an average of 11 teens each day.
(IIHS fatality facts 2008, available at www.iihs.org)

                Texting results in 330,000 distracted driving injuries every year.
(National Safety Council Cell Phone fact sheet, available at www.nsc.org)

                Ten percent of drivers age 16-24 are on the phone at any one time
(NHTSA)

                Driver distractions or inattentive driving play a part in one out of four crashes.

                What is distracted driving? Distracted driving is any nondriving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing. (Source: U.S. DOT)

                What is the most alarming driver distraction?
Texting, because it involves all three types of distraction - visual, manual and cognitive (Source: U.S. DOT)

                Using a cell phone while driving reduces what amount of brain activity associated with driving?
37 percent (Source: Carnegie Mellon)

                How many people die each year in crashes involving a distracted driver?
Nearly 6,000 die and an estimated 515,000 people are injured. (Source: NHTSA)

                Which age group has the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes?
Young, inexperienced drivers under 20 years old represent 16 percent of these crashes.

                Drivers who use handheld devices are how many times as likely to get into a crash serious enough to injure themselves?
Four times (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

                Using a cell phone while driving, whether it is handheld or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions equal to what?
It is equal to having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (Source: University of Utah)

                What type of vehicle operators are most frequently distracted at the time of fatal crashes?
Motorcyclists and drivers of light trucks (12 percent) (Source: NHTSA)

                Driver distraction was coded in motor vehicle accident reports as the critical reason that made the crash imminent in what percentage of crashes?
18 percent (source: The National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey)

                How many vehicles are on the roadway at any given moment during daylight hours that are being driven by someone using a handheld cell phone?
812,000 vehicles (Source: NHTSA)

                What percentage of vehicles are on the road at any given moment that are being driving by someone using a handheld or hands-free cell phone?
11 percent (Source: NHTSA)

                Teen drivers holding a restricted driver’s license (instruction permit, intermediate license, minor school license or license issued to teens not attending school) are barred from using electronic communication and entertainment devices while driving.

                All drivers on Iowa’s roadways are prohibited from texting and driving.

                Iowa’s laws that prohibit texting by all drivers, and use of electronic communication and entertainment devices by teen drivers are effective July 1, 2010.

                Until June 30, 2011, persons who violate Iowa’s laws that prohibit texting by all drivers, and use of electronic communication and entertainment devices by teen drivers will be issued a warning.

                The fine for violating the law prohibiting teens from using electronic communication and entertainment devices while driving is at least $127.50.

                The driver’s license sanction for violating the law prohibiting teens from using electronic communication and entertainment devices while driving includes a 30-day suspension.

                The driver’s license sanction for violating the law prohibiting teens from using electronic communication and entertainment devices while driving includes the restarting of the crash-free and moving traffic violation-free period necessary to go to the next graduated driver’s license level.

                A person who was texting and is involved in a crash that causes a serious injury is subject to an additional fine or $500 and having their license suspended for 90 days.

                A person who was texting and is involved in a crash that results in a death is subject to an additional fine or $1,000 and having their license suspended for 180 days.

                Iowa’s texting law does not prohibit use of a GPS or navigation system.

                Nonresidents of Iowa must abide by the same safety laws and cannot text and drive.

 

Add the handout on the LLF site.