Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has made it one of his focus issues, distracted driving. He has pounded home his message, “Put your cell phone down when you get in the car.” The recent BlackBerry outage resulted in some dramatic statistics that back up the truth of the Secretary’s message.
It seems that the three-day outage of BlackBerries, while devastating for Research in Motion, was a boon for anyone looking to link texting while driving to reality. While we have had plenty of anecdotal evidence of the effects of distracted driving, this experience in Abu Dhabi underscored how widespread the issue has become.
Perhaps this Middle-Eastern country is an exception, however, experts hail the fallout of the smartphone outage as dramatic testimony about how dangerous the mix of cell phones and driving can be.
In Dubai, traffic accidents fell 20 per cent from average rates on the days BlackBerry users were unable to use its messaging service. In Abu Dhabi, the number of accidents this week fell 40 per cent and there were no fatal accidents.
On average there is a traffic accident every three minutes in Dubai, while in Abu Dhabi there is a fatal accident every two days. …
Maha Khoubieh, a Syrian resident in Abu Dhabi, said she tended to look at the twinkling red light of her BlackBerry when on the road.
“Sometimes it’s just really hard not to,” said Ms Khoubieh, 27.
The drop in accidents and fatalities surprised her.
“It’s quite scary to see how much a phone can affect our lives,” she said. “I definitely think that from now on, my BlackBerry will stick to the inside pocket of my handbag and we should all be able to do our part to improve the safety of our roads.”
Two weeks ago, Abu Dhabi Police announced a campaign against motorists who use their phones while at the wheel.
Gen Tamim likewise warned that Dubai Police will soon be using electronic evidence against drivers who cause accidents while using their smart devices.
Another recent article directed at chief information officers, offers dramatic statistics about texting while driving and the hypocrisy that most of us exhibit. Make sure to watch the slide show on this site.
Texting or phoning while driving is reaching a critical point, according to a survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Nearly all survey respondents view these practices as dangerous. Yet, a significant number admit that they engage in such behavior behind the wheel regardless. “This research continues to illustrate a ‘Do as I Say, Not as I Do’ attitude that persists among drivers,” says Peter Kissinger, president/CEO of the foundation. “Changing our nation’s traffic safety culture requires drivers to take responsibility for their actions and alter their own behaviors on the road.” To date, 34 U.S. states have banned texting while driving. AAA continues to push for lawmakers in the remaining states to do the same.
’nuff said, at least until the next time.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
