Distractions - Featured articles:
Drivers most at risk from distractions outside car
Article summarizes a research project that looked at 32,000 vehicle crashes and the possible contribution of distractions. More »
Driving With Kids: A Survival Guide
The golden rule to remember is that the driver is responsible for the passengers - no matter what. They may really want that toy that has fallen under the back seat, or need you to pass back a juice bottle, but your job, first and foremost, is to ensure their safety, pandering to their needs is secondary to this. If they know you can't and won't react then they won't expect you to. More »
Texting drivers grab the headlines
The number of drivers who have texted while operating a vehicle could be as high as 77% and one third may do it regularly More »
Eating may be top driving distraction
A recent poll found that 65 percent of drivers eat while driving. Not far behind was talking on a cell phone, and these distractions happen despite drivers' acknowledgement that they believed them to be dangerous. More »
Focused on the driving task
Delphi has built a concept vehicle to demonstrate how all the myriad electronic systems can work in a vehicle that helps keeps drivers focused on driving instead of the distractions. More »
Driver fined for wearing Burqa
The French battle with the Burqa shifts up a gear with the recent fining of a 31-year old female driver in Nantes, France, for the offense of wearing a Burqa whilst driving. More »
Battle for the Dashboard - an update
This may be one of the more fiercely debated issues in the concept cars of the future. How much can the driver handle? More »
Smartphones, bluetooth, wifi and the dash...
With research showing that distraction-related deaths accounted for 16% of all traffic fatalities in 2009, this issue is once again high on the agenda of the US Transportation Department. 'U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has declared war on driver distraction, with much of the focus on weaning Americans off texting and other cell-phone use while behind the wheel.' More »
Washington drivers ignore cell phone ban
After 6 months and 746 fines, Washington state's drivers are drifting back to their old cell phone ways More »
Car key can jam teen phone calls, text
University of Utah researchers have a car ignition key that can prevent teenagers from talking or texting on cell-phones while driving More »
New driving law hits phones, iPods, visible screens
Canada's province of Ontario introduces laws that effect use of phones, iPods, navigation systems. It includes screens that are "visible to the driver" More »
Driving past billboards: distraction not a problem
Don't worry about those roadside billboards distracting drivers. Apparently we breeze right past them with hardly a wayward glance More »
Kidnapping alert signs criticized
Electronic highway message boards were part of the AMBER alert system that saved the lives of two teenage kidnap victims in California recently. But they got some criticism from motorists. More »
Computers, printers, desktops: what are cars for?
Fears of flying, and long delays at airports, are leading many business drivers to hit the road with mobile offices. More »
Study to examine gadget distractions
Three year study will measure driver distractions from cell phones and electronic gadgets. More »
Canadian drivers' multi-tasking fuels aggression
Overview of a study that points to dangerous driving habits that can fuel frustration and the spread of aggressive driving. More »
Driver distractions: results from a conference
A conference on distractions elicited the question whether humans will be able to withstand the onslaught of onboard distractions planned for their future. More »
An educator's standpoint on distractions
This editorial suggests that we cannot dismiss training as a useful tool in the effort to help drivers avoid distractions and communicate better. More »
Thinking and driving: how safe?
We know drinking and driving is bad, but what about thinking and driving? Two Spanish researchers found similarities. More »
Distracted drivers: are car phones guilty?
Concerned about the use of mobile phones, navigation systems, email, and other technologies in cars? The U.S. government is, and is hosting a web conference with experts and public input. This issue was also the topic of an excellent discussion recently on CNN's "Talkback Live." More »