DOT: Distracted Driving Kills 6,000 People in 2008

October 2, 2009

Washington - About 6,000 people died and half a million were injured last year by “distracted drivers” who were texting or calling on their mobile phones, according to the US Department of Transportation (DOT).

“Distracted driving is a looming safety problem which seems to be getting worse every year”, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood said during a two-day conference attended by road safety experts and lawmakers.

LaHood urged the lawmakers to pass a federal legislation that will prohibit people from texting, emailing, talking, and using all types of communication devices while driving.

According to previous reports, several Democrats have introduced a bill that would reduce the annual federal highway funding of states that will not implement the “No Texting while Driving” law.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an organization that represents carmaker giants including Chrysler LLC and General Motors, said it supports the proposed bill as long as it will exclude hands-free communication devices.

However, some research groups said hands-free devices are not without risk since drivers are still required to dial a number and operate these, thus taking their attention off the road.

In a recent survey, majority of distracted drivers are people aged 20 years and younger.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 18 states and the District of Columbia ban drivers from using communication devices.