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| NEWS ANALYSIS | | 05-Apr-2012 | | | Techies against Distracted Driving |
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Last June, nearly 200 billion text messages were exchanged in the U.S. alone; this is up nearly 50% from June 2009, according to CTIA, www.ctia.org. Clearly, the way we communicate is changing, and this is in large part due to connected devices that give us 24/7 access to not only a cellular communication network, but to realtime data services such as Web connectivity and GPS. These technologies follow us wherever we go, and when we get into the driver seat we must all make a choice: How connected is too connected?
Research has shown the devastating consequences of driving while distracted. According to Monash University, www.monash.edu.au, drivers who use handheld devices are four times more likely to get into serious accidents. Honing in on the dangers of texting while driving, VTTI (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute), www.vtti.vt.edu, says texting increases a driver’s chances of crashing his vehicle by 23 times.
Unfortunately, research indicates our youngest drivers are most at risk. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Admin.), www.nhtsa.gov, found teen drivers are more likely than any other age group to be involved in a fatal crash as a result of distracted driving.
Distracted driving is on the minds of many in the M2M (machine-to-machine) and connected-devices industry for a number of reasons. In February, when the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, www.dot.gov, proposed anti-distraction guidelines for automakers, tech proponents wondered if these recommendations would impede innovation in the in-vehicle technology space.
Proposed distraction guidelines would include reducing the complexity and task length required by a device; limiting device operation to one hand, and limiting off-road glances, manual inputs, and the amount of visual information in the driver’s field of view. Public-safety advocates have approached the issue from many different angles; some say legislation must be put in place against using devices in vehicles, while others believe public education is the answer.
The question will be hotly debated this April, because it is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, an initiative headed up by Shelley Forney, who lost her nine-year-old daughter as a result of a distracted driver. Passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2010, the month-long awareness campaign is an open invitation to society to ramp up awareness efforts to promote the safe use of technology while behind the wheel.
During the month of April, The Peggy Smedley Show, www.peggysmedleyshow.com, an Internet talk radio show covering M2M technology and connected devices, will be taking a unique approach to the issue, encouraging the responsible use of technology across all aspects of our lives, including, but not limited to, distracted driving.
On April 17, host Peggy Smedley, editorial director of Connected World magazine, will welcome U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to the show for a live interview to discuss the ways companies and individuals can work together to stand against the various in-vehicle distractions that are taking innocent lives.
Tune in each Tuesday this April at 12 p.m. CT by visiting www.peggysmedleyshow.com and clicking on “Listen Live.” |
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