Driving while distracted can be deadly

Suzanne Choney • E-mail

It’s suspected, but not known for sure yet, that that the engineer of a Los Angeles Metrolink commuter train may have been text messaging when the train ran a stop signal, crashing into an oncoming freight engine.

It will likely take the National Transportation Safety Board up to a year to investigate the tragedy, which resulted in 25 deaths, including that of the engineer himself, and 138 people injured.

If there was texting involved, it likely would not have been an approved activity. “Our operating rules prohibit employees operating the controls of a train from using cell phones or wireless electronic devices while on the job except in an emergency,” said Susan M. Terpay of Norfolk Southern Corp., which operates in more than 20 Eastern states. Calls made asking the same question of other rail lines were not returned yesterday.

No doubt, as soon as the texting possibility was raised, many of us thought about family members and friends who text with dexterity and with ease — and while driving a vehicle.

In the United States so far, five states have banned text-messaging while driving: Alaska, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington state, as well as the District of Columbia.

In 2007, Washington was the first state to pass such a ban. California is due to join the ranks soon. A state Senate bill banning texting and driving was approved in August, and is awaiting the governor’s signature.

Seven other states — New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Nevada and Delaware, “have bills pending that would ban text messaging by all or specific segments of drivers,” said Russ Rader of the national Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

It seems like it should be obvious not to mix the two, which some call “DWD,” driving while distracted, a category that includes cell phone use, eating, and even changing the car’s radio station.

Yet there’s a human compunction to respond to a beep, a buzz or a ring going off from a nearby device, even if that device is in the car, and one’s hands are on the steering wheel.

“The prevalence of driving while distracted can be attributed to technology and our societal mindset to be available at all times,” said Nationwide Insurance earlier this year, after doing a survey about the problem.

“No one should do it — period,” said Joseph Farren of CTIA-The Wireless Association, about text messaging while driving.

Text messaging continues to set usage records, according to CTIA. The industry trade group said in June, there were 75 billion messages sent in the United States, a 160 percent increase over June 2007.

It’s not known how many of those messages were sent by a driver behind the wheel.

In general, text messaging is more of a habit for those in their teens, 20s and even 30s, who often prefer texting to talking on the phone.

MORE FROM WIRELESS

Wireless Section Front

Review: New BlackBerry Storm improves on original Newsweek: How texting can help you save money Review: Motorola's Droid a serious smartphone T-Mobile says phone service outage resolved Scared of flying? Press the fear iButton AT&T to Verizon: There’s a lawsuit for that iPhone comes to China without key feature NBA introduces live games on mobile devices Verizon's iPhone challenger goes on sale Nov. 6 5 ways wireless carriers gouge you Wireless Section Front   Add Wireless headlines to your news reader: