Traffic Safety Priorities

Focus: Distracted

DrivingDriving

Sarah WeissmanJuly 18, 2012

ITE Technical Conference

Who we are and what we do

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one of nine federal agency modes under the U.S. Department of Transportation, established in 1970 under Highway Safety Act.

Our mission: reducing deaths, injuries and

economic losses from motor vehicle

Our mission: reducing deaths, injuries and

economic losses from motor vehicle

crashes.

Our agency performs safety investigations, sets and enforces regulations, collects data, conducts research, and oversees the State and Community highway safety program.

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How far have we come?

1970: FMVSS

1975: Interstate Speed Limit 55

1980s: Child Safety Seats, MADD, seat

belt laws, 21 drinking agebelt laws, 21 drinking age

1990s: Buckle Up America, airbags

2000-present: CIOT, SAFETEA-LU

Our shared approach

• Policy

• Program

– Traffic Research

• FARS Data

• Enforcement Data

Policy

Program

• Enforcement Data

• VMT Data

• Communications

– Market Research

– Communications Plan

– Creative Development

Communications

Where are we now?

• In 2010, 32,885 people died in motor

vehicle traffic crashes in the United

States—the lowest number of

fatalities since 1949 (30,246 fatalities

in 1949). in 1949).

• In New York in 2010, 1,119 people

died in motor vehicle crashes.

Current priorities

• Occupant restraint use

• Impaired driving prevention

• Data quality

• Child passenger safety• Child passenger safety

• Motorcycle safety

• Vulnerable roadway users (teens,

seniors, pedestrians, and bicyclists)

An emerging priority:

Distracted Driving

In 2010, at least 3,092 people – one in ten who died on the nation’s roadways - were killed in distraction-affected crashes.

More than 75% of Americans surveyed report they will answer cell phone calls on all, most More than 75% of Americans surveyed report they will answer cell phone calls on all, most or some trips.

90% felt driving while texting or reading email is very unsafe. Yet respondents reported few driving situations when they would not use the phone.

What is distraction?

• Visual — taking your eyes

off the road

• Manual — taking your hands

off the wheel off the wheel

• Cognitive — taking your mind

off what you’re doing

Any task may cause multiple

types of distraction

The distraction spectrum

Types of Distraction`

Listening

to Radio

Less Distracting More Distracting

Listening to

Using Audio

GPS Directions

Dialing Cell

PhoneGlancing

at GPS

Device

Programming

GPS Device

Text

Messaging

Talking on Hands-

Free Phone with

Voice Commands

Reading

a Map

Minor Distraction Moderate Distraction Major Distraction

Types of Distraction`

Visual

Manual

Cognitive

GPS Directions Messaging

Driver distraction program plan

(2010)

NHTSA GOAL

Eliminate Crashes Due to Distraction

Initiative 1:

Improved Understanding of Problem

Dec 2010: FARS data refinement,

collection and analysis

Dec 2010: National attitude and Dec 2010: National attitude and

awareness survey concluded

Initiative 2 and 3:

Reduce Workload; Keep Drivers Safe

• Feb 2012: In a Federal Rule, NHTSA

proposed voluntary Driver

Distraction Guidelines for vehicle

manufacturers

Initiative 4:

Behavioral Research

April 2011: Distracted Driving

Enforcement Project (city)

Dec 2010: Naturalistic study completedDec 2010: Naturalistic study completed

The Distracted Driving Enforcement

Program – a demonstration project

• Hartford, Connecticut and Syracuse,

New York applied the High Visibility

Enforcement (HVE) model to

distracted driving.

DDEP: public service announcement

DDEP: purchased media

DDEP results: public awareness

“Have you seen or heard about police enforcement

focused on cell phone use while driving in your town?”

33% of respondents in Hartford and 26% in

Syracuse said they will ALWAYS be ticketed

for cell phone violations

DDEP results:

talking while driving (CT)

Observed hand-held phone use in Connecticut

Drivers using hand-held cell

phones while driving

dropped 57% in Hartford

DDEP results:

talking while driving (NY)

Observed hand-held phone use in New York

Drivers using hand-held cell

phones while driving

dropped 32% in Syracuse

DDEP results:

texting/manipulating (CT)

Observed manipulation of hand-held phones in Connecticut

Drivers who were texting

while driving declined 72%

in Hartford

DDEP results:

texting/manipulating (NY)

Observed manipulation of hand-held phones in New York

Drivers who were texting

while driving declined 32% in

Syracuse

Lessons learned: DDEP

Enforcement Communications

Pre-existing agency

partnerships

Powerful television

ads

Spotters, roving

patrols, SUVs

Earned media with

highest-levelpatrols, SUVs highest-level

Impaired driving

cues

State/national

leadership

Court buy-in

Next Steps: Blueprint for Ending

Distracted Driving

• Enact and enforce tough State laws

• DDEP Expanded: California and

Delaware

• Distracted driving program in

reauthorization billreauthorization bill

• Continued technological

advancements

• Better drivers education for youth

• Responsibility – advocacy -

involvement

Resources available now

www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov

www.distraction.gov

www.safercar.gov/parentcentral

Posters *** Law Enforcement Op-ed

Radio Liners *** Enforcement & Social

Norm Static Billboards

Enforcement Online Banners

Research Notes *** more…

Thank You!sarah.weissman@dot.govsarah.weissman@dot.gov