Latest Distracted Driving Headlines
All the headlines from our Distracted Driving Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Arizona Lawmakers to Take up Texting While Driving Ban for Teens
Apr 20 2017 // The Arizona House is planning to debate legislation banning texting or other cellphone use by drivers with only a learners permit or during the first six months teenagers have a regular license. The debate comes two days...
Iowa Lawmakers Pass Tougher Texting and Driving Law
Apr 13 2017 // The Legislature has sent the governor a bill that would let police officers stop and ticket drivers who were texting while driving. The legislation approved by the House would take effect July 1 if Gov. Terry Branstad were...
New York Begins New Push to Stop Distracted Driving
Apr 10 2017 // New York is launching a statewide campaign against distracted driving as part of April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said state and local police will be stepping up patrols and...
Outlook Good for Texting-While-Driving Ban, Texas Lawmakers Say
Apr 5 2017 // Note this article originally appeared in the Texas Tribune. After pushing the issue for nearly a decade, key lawmakers in the Texas Legislature are optimistic that a statewide texting-while-driving ban is within...
Driver of Truck in Texas Bus Crash Admits Texting Behind the Wheel
Apr 3 2017 // A witness says the driver of a pickup truck that collided with a church minibus in rural Texas, killing 13 people, acknowledged he had been texting while driving — highlighting the dangers of sending messages on...
Washington Commissioner Supporting Strict Distracted Driving Bills
Mar 22 2017 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is advocating for two distracted driving bills that the state Legislature is considering. House Bill 1371, sponsored by Rep. Jessyn Farrell, and Senate Bill 5289, sponsored...
Statewide Ban on Texting While Driving Passed by Texas House
Mar 16 2017 // The Texas House on March 15 passed a statewide ban on texting while driving. Members voted 113-32 to tentatively approve the legislation, which will get a final vote in the House before it can proceed to the Senate. A...
Texas Bill Banning Texting While Driving Statewide Goes to Senate
Mar 14 2017 // A bill that passed the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee on March 13 aims to restrict texting while driving statewide. While several cities already have ordinances that restrict texting while behind the wheel, SB 31 by...
Texas Number 1 in Fatal Crashes, Alcohol-Impaired Driving
Mar 6 2017 // Texas highways continue to be deadly, with an increase in traffic crashes involving injuries and fatalities. Last year, 3,390 traffic crashes resulted in 3,757 fatalities and 175,347 traffic crashes resulted in 263,536...
Judge Dismisses Snapchat from Georgia Distracted Driver Crash Claim
Feb 6 2017 // A Georgia judge dismissed claims against Snapchat that blamed the social media company’s “speed filter” for a highway crash. The judge said in the January ruling that the Communications Decency Act...
Connecticut Lawmakers Consider Higher Fines for Distracted Driving
Jan 30 2017 // Some Connecticut lawmakers want to make it tougher for distracted drivers. The General Assembly’s Transportation Committee is holding a public hearing today on several bills that would increase penalties for texting...
Judge Rules Snapchat Immune from Georgia Distracted Driver Crash Claim
Jan 25 2017 // A judge has dismissed claims against Snapchat that blamed the social media company’s “speed filter” for a highway crash. The judge said the Communications Decency Act provides the social media company...
Montana Bill Would Overturn Bans on Using Cellphones While Driving
Jan 17 2017 // A Great Falls, Mont. lawmaker has introduced a bill that would prevent local governments from placing bans on talking or texting on a cellphone while driving. Republican Rep. Jeremy Trebas tells the Great Falls Tribune...
Dashcam Footage Shows Truck Driver on Phone Before Driving off Florida Overpass
Jan 13 2017 // The Florida Highway Patrol says a man received a ticket after a dashcam in his truck showed him using a cellphone just before the semitrailer he was driving plunged off an Interstate 75 overpass near Tampa. Authorities say...
Injury Crashes Involving Texting, Driving Decrease in Oklahoma
Dec 29 2016 // Oklahoma has seen a significant decrease in injury traffic accidents involving drivers distracted by an electronic device since a law banning texting and driving went into effect last year. Data from the Oklahoma Highway...
33% of Canadians Admit to ‘Dangerous Habit’ of Texting at Red Lights
Dec 29 2016 // One third (33 percent) of Canadians admit they have texted while stopped at a red light in the last month, reveals a poll from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). That is despite evidence that your mind could still...
Hartford’s Execs Make Plea to End ‘Real Issue, Real Pain’ of Distracted Driving
Dec 16 2016 // Although small commercial insurance—outside of auto—is a top-line accelerator at The Hartford, auto insurance severity continues hitting the bottom line, say executives who expect a pretax $50 million prior-year...
Teens and Distracted Driving: Get the Message Campaigns
Dec 5 2016 // Driving my children to school each morning it’s hard not to notice the number of parents attached to their cell phone. While state law prohibits cell phone use in school zones and city law prohibits cell phone use...
How to Get Teens to Take Dangers of Distracted Driving Seriously
Nov 29 2016 // A program to educate teens about distracted driving—including a tour of a hospital trauma center and testimony from a trauma survivor—can increase awareness of the dangers of texting, cell phone use, and other...
Smartphone Makers Reject Obama Call for Restrictions to Curb Distracted Driving
Nov 28 2016 // U.S. highway safety officials called on smartphone makers to add features that would keep motorists from using functions linked to a surge in deaths due to distracted driving, a proposal that drew immediate opposition from...
