Donna Kozik
Freelance Copywriter & Consultant
Phone: 619/297-1749
E-mail: Donna@DonnaKozik.com
Web site: http://www.DonnaKozik.com 

“Driven To Distraction” was a cover story published in the summer 2001 In Sync magazine. In Sync is distributed to 1.3 million Erie Insurance policyholders three times a year. 

© Erie Insurance Group 

Contents page:
Ever been bothered by a bee in your buggy? How about kids in the back seat? And what’s that ringing in your ears? Described as traffic’s new national nightmare, driver distraction is one of the most complex safety issues facing Americans today. 

Story:
Picture it: You’re driving down the road with safety as your co-pilot: both hands on the wheel, no cell phone in sight, the kids are angels. Heck, you don’t even have the radio on. 

And then the other guy goes whizzing by. Swerving in and out of traffic, he has a phone pressed to his ear, while he twirls his Palm Pilot stylus in one hand and holds a fistful of papers in the other. He’s obviously someone who’s running late – late for his accident. 

You roll your eyes and shake your head while smugly thinking, “There should be a law to keep people like that off the road.” 

Be honest now. Which driver do you identify with more? 

Actually, most of us lie somewhere in between. With more demands on our time and more gadgets at our disposal, it’s tempting to be “on” all the time, even in the car. But lawmakers, carmakers and others are starting to have more to say about driver distraction. 

It’s been a concern since the early days of automobiles. In 1913, windshield wipers were seen as a threat because of their potential to hypnotize drivers. In 1930, two states considered outlawing car radios. And, today, what driver doesn’t have a story about being involved in a conversation with a passenger or unwrapping a cheeseburger when “all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I swerved just in time…” It’s hard to admit that we’re more like “that other guy” – even for a dangerous split second -- than we’d care to think. 

Defining driver distraction – or what has been called “America’s new national nightmare” -- has been difficult because drivers are distracted by different things at different levels. Age even plays a role with younger drivers being preoccupied by tuning the radio or talking with passengers and older ones sidetracked by events outside the car. 

In general, driver distraction is anything that seriously impairs a driver’s focus and attention to the road. Distracting actions can include eating, grooming, dressing, reading, lighting a cigarette, changing the radio station, and using laptop computers, Palm Pilots and on-board navigation systems. 

In what has become a national debate, the freedom to eat, drink and talk in the car is being weighed against the hazard of taking eyes and attention off the road and putting yourself – and others – at risk. 

Americans spend about half a billion hours a week in their vehicles and many consider themselves excellent time managers because of what can be done during that so-called “down time.”

“We thought technology would set us free. That’s a myth,” said Robert Thompson, a popular culture and media professor at Syracuse University. “New technology gives us a greater expectation of what we can do with free time – and it pushes the finish line further ahead. 

“We’re a totally portable, hooked-up species.” 

But at what price? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), distracted drivers cause up to 30 percent of crashes – or about 4,300 crashes a day in the United States. And some of the stories associated with these crashes are heartbreaking. 

Patrician Pena’s two-and-a-half year old daughter was killed in 1999 when the family car was rammed by a vehicle whose driver ran a stop sign at 45 mph while he was talking on a cell phone. 

“It’s hard to lose a loved one, but to lose a loved one for such a senseless reason as a phone call is an ever bigger burden to bear,” Pena told a Congressional committee. Outspoken about her grief, Pena has also formed Advocates for Cell Phone Safety, a group to help family members of victims of phone-related auto accidents. 

Cell phones have become the most talked about cause of driver distraction. In fact, most Americans think driving and talking is a bad combination. 

According to the Insurance Research Council (IRC), 89 percent of cell phone owners agree that using cell phones while driving distracts drivers and increases the likelihood of accidents. Despite this belief, overall self-reported cell phone use while driving has actually increased in the last three years, largely a result of cellular phone ownership nearly doubling since 1997 to about 111 million, about 85 percent of which are used at least occasionally in the car. 

“Even though Americans believe that talking on the phone while driving can be dangerous, it continues to be an irresistible temptation for many drivers,” said Elizabeth Sprinkel, senior vice president and head of the IRC. 

Going against popular belief, some research has shown the cell phones aren’t the main cause of distracted drivers. A study conducted by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center analyzed more than 26,000 crashes that occurred in the United States from 1995 to 1998. The study found that nearly 30 percent of the drivers were distracted by something outside of the vehicle, about 12 percent were distracted by adjusting the radio or CD player and approximately 11 percent were distracted by talking to other passengers. Cell phone use accounted for only 1.5 percent of the crashes in the study. 

It’s a statistic readily cited by those in the cell phone industry – an industry that has a great deal at stake in putting more technology in vehicles. 

“Wireless phones are the greatest safety tools invented since the creation of 911 itself. A wireless phone out of all potential driver distractions is the only one that could possibly save your life or the life of another,” said Tom Wheeler, of the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association.

The University of North Carolina study aside, there simply isn’t a great deal of scientific research done in determining just how much of a hazard cell phones are. Only four states chart cell phone use as part of their accident reporting system – Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Even then, accident reporting can be sketchy and some drivers may find it hard to admit they crashed while fumbling for a ringing phone or while dialing a number.

The sobering statistics, along with testimonials and some first hand experience, have captured the attention of regulators, who are scrambling to determine the extent of a problem they aren’t quite sure how to solve. Many states have considered bills to regulate the use of telecommunications technology in motor vehicles, but only three have adopted legislation that calls for minor restrictions.

Local legislators seem more willing to put limits on drivers. Brooklyn, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, became the first jurisdiction in the U.S. to make it illegal to talk on a hand-held cell phone while driving. Marlboro, New Jersey, followed suit where drivers must use a hands-free phone or face a $250 fine.

In 1997, it was widely reported that talking on a hand-held cell phone quadrupled a driver’s chances of being involved in an accident, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. Not so well known is that the same study showed the correlation was statistically as strong for hands-free devices, which gives the debate yet another dimension.

There’s a growing body of research that suggests that “hands-free” technology does little to diminish the safety problems of cell-phone use. Many researchers have concluded that “cognitive distraction” is the real danger – the driver concentrating on a conversation outside of the car, not on the road.

“These systems may leave your eyes on the road, but is your mind on the road?” asked NHTSA spokesperson Tim Hurd.

But cell phones are just the beginning of possible technological distractions coming soon to a car near you. In fact, there’s an entire industry bent on increasing the technological capabilities of Americans’ cars. Called telematics, it combines Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology with a cellular connection so that your vehicle’s onboard systems can keep abreast of your location and, in turn, keep you connected to the outside world. 

Seen as a major source of new revenue for automobile manufacturers, telecommunications companies and computer makers, telematics is a $7 billion global industry and is expected to reach $50 billion by 2010, according to investment bank UBS Warburg. Today there are just over a million vehicles complete with telematics systems, but that number is expected to explode to 56 million worldwide by 2005, according to ARC Group, which publishes in-depth strategic reports for the wireless communications industry.

High-end telematics are found now in some Mercedes-Benz vehicles and allows drivers to view on-screen e-mail, weather reports and personalized news, sports and stock market coverage -- when the car is stationary. On 2002 models, a computerized voice will read the information aloud while the car is moving.

More people have heard of OnStar, which has about a million subscribers and is standard or optional on nearly every General Motor’s vehicle. OnStar provides a number of safety, security and convenience services from afar, from diagnosing the reason behind a lit “check engine” light to electronically unlocking your doors if you call and provide a password. Chrysler and Dodge are preparing to role out telematics features soon. In fact, by the 2003 model year, there will probably be few cars that don’t offer it.

There’s definitely an upside to in-car navigation systems with cellular capabilities. Besides being a fast and easy way to get directions, it can get help to stranded or crashed vehicles quickly. UBS Warburg says a combination of GPS and instant communication to emergency call centers could trim up to 30 percent off ambulance response time. In fact, if these systems prevent traffic deaths, lawmakers could eventually require them to be in every car, like air bags.

But are high-tech navigational systems adding to the problem of distracted drivers? It may depend on how fast the information is presented to the driver. A study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Vehicle Initiative incorporates a simulator that includes four systems already available or soon to be available to consumers: a forward collision-warning system, a navigation system, an Internet-equipped computer screen and a cell phone. Senior scientist Dr. Philip Spelt, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, conducted the driving tests.

While still crunching the numbers, Spelt said the overall outcome is already obvious. “People who get bombarded with three or four devices all at once had more trouble dealing with the whole situation than the people where we spread them out,” he said. 

Other groups also are working to fill the research void surrounding the issue of driver distraction. NHTSA and Transport Canada are conducting a study on a test track comparing the potential for distracted driving while dialing a phone, tuning a radio and retrieving e-mail manually or by voice activation. NHTSA is also working on a study that looks at the difference in the level of distraction when using hand-held and hands-free cell phones in real-world driving conditions.

Car companies are collecting data as well. The Ford Motor Co. created a $10 million virtual test-track simulator to gauge drivers’ ability to operate vehicles while using cell phones, navigation systems and other electronic equipment. GM Corp is conducting a three-year, $10 million study of driver interaction with cell phones and other gadgets.

The telematics industry itself may offer a way to reduce distraction -- through more technology. One option is a computerized dashboard, described as a “workload manager,” that would prevent distractions – cell phones, navigation systems and other wireless-based technologies – from affecting driver safety.

The workload manager would take into account lane width, surface condition and curves, as well as weather, light, speed and traffic conditions. The manager would then “decide” whether to allow a distraction to reach the driver. A phone call, for instance, could be automatically directed to a voicemail system during difficult driving situations.

The industry is also looking into a single hand control – a type of joystick – for a car’s telematics systems. The BMW IDrive has an interface system that combines voice recognition and a control that sends tactile feedback cues through the driver’s hand as he or she scrolls through menus. It allows drivers to take advantage of technology while keeping their eyes on the road.

Others say education is the answer. ABC Radio Networks and NHTSA have joined together to conduct a radio campaign reminding drivers what’s at stake. Highlighting a range of distractions, such as eating or turning one’s head in conversation, the spots emphasize the economic and other impacts of distracted driver collisions. The first campaign addresses the prudent use of technology in the car, with the second campaign bringing listeners personal accounts and commentary.

Overriding further technology and education, however, is the notion of old-fashioned responsibility behind the wheel. 

Freelance writer Donna Kozik lives near “Telecomm Valley” in San Diego, where there are more cell phones per capita than anywhere else in the world. So far, she has successfully fought the urge to go wireless. 

-- END --

Donna Kozik
(619) 297-1749
Donna@DonnaKozik.com