distracted driving

Emergency workers work the scene of a fatal car accident in August 2021 in Tulsa, Okla. Nearly 43,000 people died in U.S. traffic crashes in 2021, with deaths due to speeding and impaired or distracted driving on the rise.

Distraction, speeding and alcohol contribute to a 16-year high in traffic deaths

2:11pm April 03, 2023

by The Associated Press

The 2021 numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed earlier estimates showing a 10.5% increase in deaths over 2020. The 43,000 deaths were the highest total since 2005.

Politics & Government

NC House Members: Cellphone Ban While Driving Needs Work

10:47am May 03, 2019

by Associated Press

Legislation originally designed to prohibit the use of hand-held cellphones while driving in North Carolina nearly sank after a rewrite because lawmakers worried it would punish people who eat or p

Politics & Government

Bill Would Make Talking On Phone While Driving Illegal In North Carolina

10:58am February 22, 2019

by Neal Charnoff

If you're on the phone while driving your car, you may need to wrap up that conversation. Talking on the phone in the driver's seat may soon be illegal in North Carolina.

A man talks on the phone while he rides a bike in Amsterdam. Legislation proposed in the Netherlands would impose a fine on bicyclists who use a mobile phone while they're on their bikes.

World News

Netherlands Proposes Legislation To Ban Use Of Phones On Bicycles

2:38pm September 27, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

Dutch Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen has proposed amending traffic laws to forbid bicyclists from holding a "mobile electronic device" while on the road.

Crime

Distracted Driving Proves Deadly In North Carolina, Officials Suggest Tighter Enforcement

4:50pm July 01, 2018

by David Ford

The Governor's Highway Safety Program recently announced a crackdown on impaired driving ahead of the July 4th holiday.

Rescuers work on the scene of a school bus crash in November 2016 in Chattanooga, Tenn. School bus driver Johnthony Walker was convicted Thursday of negligent homicide and other charges in the crash, which killed six children.

National

Bus Driver Convicted Of Negligent Homicide In Crash That Killed 6 Children

10:33am March 02, 2018

by Laurel Wamsley

Prosecutors argued that the driver was talking on his cell phone and driving 20 miles over the speed limit when he crashed the bus into a tree in November 2016.

Distracted driving is a growing problem, accounting for at least 12 percent of road crashes worldwide. Young men are more likely to be distracted, a study finds.

Young Men, Frequent Drivers Most Likely To Get Distracted While Driving

1:25pm November 17, 2017

by April Fulton

Distracted driving is a growing problem, accounting for at least 12 percent of road crashes worldwide. Phones don't help. But personality and gender may play a role, too, researchers say.

At the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, executives announced the upcoming "Do Not Disturb While Driving" feature for iPhones.

National

Apple Takes On Distracted Driving With New Feature

5:36pm June 06, 2017

by Amy Held

The new feature blocks notifications while users are driving, but a loophole could allow text messages to still pop up.

A driver uses a phone while behind the wheel of a car on April 30, 2016, in New York City.

National

'Textalyzer' Aims To Curb Distracted Driving, But What About Privacy?

9:54am April 27, 2017

by David Schaper

Police may soon have technology to tell if a driver involved in an accident had been using a mobile device behind the wheel. Privacy advocates worry about letting police snoop on people's phones.

Queue Listen Now

If you haven't had at least seven hours of sleep in the last 24, you probably shouldn't be behind the wheel, traffic safety data suggests.

Drivers Beware: Crash Rate Spikes With Every Hour Of Lost Sleep

4:39pm December 06, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

An analysis of car accidents found that drivers who slept only five or six hours in the previous 24 had nearly twice the accident rate of drivers who slept a full seven hours or more.