distracted driving

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently published a study about the dangers of driving while using a cellphone. Their findings raise questions about the effectiveness of criminalizing cellphone use behind the wheel. The MIT study suggests the real problem may be drivers who engage in risky driving behavior with or without using cellphones. The study does not dispute the well-established facts linking cellphone use while driving with higher accident rates. Peer-reviewed psychological studies have found that even talking on a hands-free phone while driving can impair reaction time as much as drinking can-though talking with people present in the vehicle…

The nation just got through the first few weeks of school this fall and with it came the usual added stress on drivers and kids to stay safe. The reasons are obvious for an increase in the risk of motor vehicle accidents near schools, with or around school buses and in neighborhoods with children. Kids are little and harder to see, and more likely as pedestrians or bicyclists to forget to observe traffic safety rules or to move impulsively. Most children are killed as pedestrians in the after-school hours. Bursts of traffic are also likely to accompany resumption of classes at colleges…