Distracted Driving

Total traffic deaths have declined nationwide in recent years, but the same has not held true for the most vulnerable people on the streets: cyclists and pedestrians. In 2011, 130 more pedestrians were killed in traffic than the year before, a 3 percent increase, while 54 more people lost their lives while biking, an increase of 8 percent. The same year, overall traffic deaths declined 2 percent.

Distracted driving killed 3,331 people on American streets in 2011, yet car manufacturers continue to outdo each other to add more infotainment distractions in their vehicles. These systems are expected to increase five-fold by 2018, according to AAA. Carmakers seek to show their commitment to safety by making their distractions – onboard dinner reservation apps and social media, for example – hands-free. But a growing body of research indicates that there is no safe way to combine driving with tasks like dictating email or text messages.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's signature issue has been distracted driving. He's spent the last four years amplifying the heartbreaking voices of those who have suffered the consequences of this highly dangerous habit. The stories of the needless loss of so many people, especially children and teens, are tragic.

If you've been on a U.S. street anytime in the past few years, it comes as no surprise to hear that way too many Americans are yammering away on their cell phones -- or worse, OMG'ing and LOL'ing with their friends on text and email -- while driving. A new report from the CDC -- from their "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" -- shows just how bad the American habit is.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported last December that while overall traffic fatalities in the United States dropped in 2010, pedestrian deaths rose higher – up four percent in 2010 over 2009. Yesterday, the agency released some more detailed statistics about those crashes [PDF], but the report includes scarcely any data or analysis about the underlying causes of pedestrian deaths.

Here's the latest transpo bill news that has filtered through the tight little seams in the armor around the conference committee.

We're hearing reports that a deal on the surface transportation bill is imminent. We'll let you know when we hear more. Could it be that the Walz Motion to Instruct lit a fire under the conferees?

Last Thursday, Fox News commentator Chris Wallace was interrupted in the middle of a radio interview with KFTK, a St. Louis talk radio station, when one of D.C.’s finest gave him some fair and balanced treatment for driving while using a handheld cell phone -- a practice banned by the District of Columbia in 2004.

Distracted driving has become one of the U.S. Department of Transportation's banner issues under secretary Ray LaHood's tenure, with agencies launching safety programs and awareness campaigns aimed at preventing the practice. Last week, LaHood stepped into new territory by recommending that cars be built to automatically disable potentially distracting electronic devices when in motion.