Another way to make the road safer
The ads appeared on September 30th, 2009, during the Department of Transportation’s “Distracted Driving Summit” in Washington, D.C. “With the proliferation of cell phone use and text messaging while behind the wheel, distracted driving is on the rise and is a leading cause of traffic accidents,” said Doug Speck, Volvo Cars of North America president and CEO. “Reasonable laws that help focus a driver’s attention on the road will help reduce collisions, just as laws to enforce seat belt use have helped save lives.”
Volvo has actually been addressing the issue of distracted driving even before the advent of widespread digital communication. Over the past few years we’ve built a number of innovative safety features into our cars to help eliminate collisions. For instance, one warns fatigued drivers when they’re weaving out of their lane while another literally stops a car from crashing into the vehicle in front of them in stop and go traffic.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, seven states currently outlaw the use of a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving, and 18 states prohibit text messaging. In addition to cell phone use, other common driver distractions include rubbernecking (slowing down to look at an accident), driver fatigue, looking at scenery, other passengers, adjusting the radio and reading newspapers, books or maps.
With this latest evolution in safety issues, Volvo is getting involved with the hope of drawing more attention to the issue and effecting change. Because, with fewer distracted drivers, the roads will be safer for everyone. For more on the subject, you can read up at http://www.rita.dot.gov/distracted_driving_summit/.
