 Distracted Driving
Overview
With new technology being introduced every day, distracted driving is a major traffic safety issue. Although lawmakers at the state, federal and local level are examining a wide variety of issues related to driver focus, the most common concern is the potential distraction caused by cell phones and other technology in the car. More than 220 million people in the United States subscribe to wireless services, and it is estimated that as many as 80 percent of those subscribers use their phones while driving. Many states have passed laws related to cell phone use in the car. Six states — California, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Utah and Washington — and the District of Columbia have banned hand-held phone use by all drivers. Legislatures in other states have prohibited cell phone use by younger drivers or school bus drivers, improved data collection or limited local authority on the issue. NCSL closely monitors the latest developments in distracted driving legislation and has published numerous reports on the topic. Additionally, NCSL's Driver Focus and Technology Database provides current information on the latest in state activity.
Publications
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