Category: Distracted Driving

The House voted this week to speed the introduction of driverless cars by giving the federal government the authority to exempt automakers from safety standards that are not applicable to the technology. According to an Associated Press news report, the House’s vote will also permit the deployment of up to 100,000 of the vehicles annually over the next several years. …Read the rest »

Maybe your mind wanders, you are daydreaming, or simply zoning out when you are behind the wheel. If you are one of the guilty parties, don’t despair. A recent study by researchers at the George Mason University found that people’s minds wandered up to 70 percent of the time during a simulated work commute. According to an NBC news report, the study was aimed at exploring the concept of zoning out as a potential cause of distracted driving crashes. Researchers also noticed specific changes in brain patterns during periods of inattention. …Read the rest »

Drivers in California are able to get away with texting and driving because of weak penalties, according to an NBC news report. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about nine people die and more than 1,000 are injured in crashes that involve distracted drivers many of whom are suspected of using their cell phones at the time. Safety advocates say the number of deaths and injuries involving cell phones is …Read the rest »

A total solar eclipse is expected occur Monday, August 21, across the entire continental United States and it’s happening for the first time in 99 years. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and departments of transportation across the country are issuing a warning to all drivers to exercise caution on eclipse day. It is expected that about 200 million people will be within a day’s drive of the total solar eclipse.

Even individuals who cannot see the total eclipse will be able to see the partial eclipse. It’s going to last only a couple of minutes. But, the eclipse will darken the country in the middle of the day when millions of Americans are on the road. The FHWA calls this solar eclipse “one of the largest driver distractions in years.” The path of totality will cross …Read the rest »

Apple executives have announced the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature for iPhones to help combat the major problem of distracted driving. According to an NPR news report, Apple’s new solution is aimed at keeping drivers’ eyes off the screen and the road. When Apple’s iOS 11 update comes out this fall, it will include the “Do Not Disturb While Driving mode.” Apple officials announced the new feature during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California. …Read the rest »

Tiger Woods was arrested early morning Monday, May 29, after police in Jupiter, Florida, found him asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz. According to a CNN news report, police found the golfer’s car running on the side of the road, its brake lights illuminated and right turn signal flashing. He was by himself in the vehicle and wearing his seatbelt. …Read the rest »

“Baywatch” actor David Hasselhoff’s daughter, Hayley, was arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol over the weekend after police say she passed out behind the wheel of her Mercedes Benz while driving on the freeway. According to a TMZ news report, the 24-year-old “Sharknado” actress was driving her white Mercedes on the 101 Freeway when the car came to a stop on the Fallbrook Avenue off-ramp.

Witnesses called 911 and when officers arrived, they found Hayley Hasselhoff passed out in the driver’s seat with her foot on the brake. Responders were able to wake her up and they got her to roll down the window. Officials quickly gained control of the car and got her out of the vehicle. Officials said her breath smelled of alcohol and that she failed a field sobriety test. She was arrested on suspicion of DUI and was taken to a nearby hospital to be evaluated. Once she was medically cleared, Hasselhoff was taken to a nearby jail and booked. No one was injured in the incident. …Read the rest »

A Courthouse News report states that marijuana-related car accidents may be on the rise in California. That coupled with multiple reports from states that have legalized medical and recreational marijuana show significantly higher rates of drugged-driving accidents, even as DUIs involving alcohol decline nationwide. The issue is particularly challenging for law enforcement agencies because this is unchartered territory. This is because while police have many tools to combat drunk driving, that’s not necessarily true when it comes to drugged driving. …Read the rest »

Uber is facing about $1.13 million in fines for failing to properly address complaints in California about its drivers working while under the influence. According to a report on CNET.com, the California Public Utilities Commission has said it has “zero tolerance” rules when it comes to complaints of driving drunk or under the influence of drugs. The state’s Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division has looked at 154 Uber-related complaints and found that the company violated those rules in 151 of the cases between August 12, 2014 and August 31, 2015. …Read the rest »

On California’s freeways and roadways, we know law enforcement officials catch traffic violators using radar, helicopters and sometimes, by just hiding in an alcove. But, according to a WBTV news report, police in North Carolina are about to get what they call “ghost cars” to catch motorists who are breaking the rules of the road. …Read the rest »