Latest Distracted Driving Headlines
All the headlines from our Distracted Driving Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Few Citations Issued in Year One of Oklahoma’s Texting and Driving Ban
Nov 3 2016 // Tulsa, Okla., police say a modest number of citations have been issued in the first year after Oklahoma banned texting and driving. The Tulsa World reports 75 citations were issued by the police department between Nov. 1,...
Teens Who Use Phones While Driving Also Prone to Other Risky Behaviors
Oct 18 2016 // American teens who use their smartphones when they’re behind the wheel are also more likely to participate in other dangerous driving behaviors, like speeding, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or...
Kansas Targets Universities with Don’t Text and Drive Campaign
Oct 3 2016 // Kansas has launched a campaign against texting while driving that includes a contest for university fans. The Kansas Department of Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer announced the campaign, Don’t Text #Just Drive,...
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Announces Don’t Text #Just Drive Campaign
Sep 22 2016 // Kansas has launched a campaign against texting while driving that includes a contest for university fans. The Kansas Department of Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer announced the campaign. The campaign’s message,...
Ohio Mutual Offering Distracted Driving Prevention Device to Policyholders
Sep 2 2016 // Ohio Mutual Insurance Group plans to offer its policyholders distracted driving technology from Cellcontrol to help reduce distracted driving claims. Cellcontrol is a combination hardware device and software. A toll booth...
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) Leads Motorists to Check Social Media While Driving
Aug 26 2016 // Social media and FOMO (fear of missing out) could be putting road-users at risk, as motorists admit to checking social networking sites and reading messages on their phones while driving, according to UK insurer Aviva. A...
‘Self-Driving’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Hands-Free’ – Lessons of Tesla Autopilot Crash in China
Aug 15 2016 // Tesla said last week that one of its cars had crashed in Beijing while in ‘autopilot’ mode, with the driver contending sales staff sold the function as ‘self-driving’, overplaying its actual...
Insurers Work to Educate Consumers on the Evolving Dangers of Distracted Driving & Walking
Jul 25 2016 // We have all seen the stories in the news. After many years of a declining trend in the number of accidents, the number of accidents has spiked in the last two years. Insurers have an opportunity to educate the public and...
Research Shows Dangers of Using Hands-Free Cell Phones While Driving
Jul 15 2016 // Driving while talking on a hands-free phone can be as distracting as talking on a hand-held mobile, according to researchers at the University of Sussex in England. “A popular misconception is that using a mobile...
Many Buggy Accidents in Indiana Caused by Distracted Driving
Jul 12 2016 // Two recent crashes on the same road in Indiana’s Elkhart County highlight the dangers of distracted driving accidents involving motor vehicles and horse-drawn buggies. On May 29, a 17-year-old girl who rear-ended a...
More California Drivers Spotted Using Cellphones, Traffic Report Shows
Jul 11 2016 // The number of California drivers using cellphones is rising, as are deaths and injuries blamed on distracted driving. The California Office of Traffic Safety reported in late June that nearly 13 percent of drivers were...
Iowa Distracted Driving Fatalities Doubled in 2015
Jul 6 2016 // The number of people killed or injured in accidents caused by use of electronic devices doubled in Iowa last year. Fourteen people were killed statewide in 2015, compared to seven the previous year, according to the Globe...
More California Drivers Spotted Using Cellphones, Traffic Report Shows
Jun 24 2016 // The number of California drivers using cellphones is rising, as are deaths and injuries blamed on distracted driving. The California Office of Traffic Safety reported this week that nearly 13 percent of drivers were seen...
PEMCO Poll: Nearly Half of Northwest Drivers Use Phones Behind the Wheel
Jun 20 2016 // Seattle-based PEMCO Insurance announced that nearly half of Northwest drivers admit they illegally use their phones while driving – and a majority do it because they don’t think it’s “too...
Louisiana Governor Signs Bill Hiking Max Fines for Texting While Driving
Jun 17 2016 // Maximum penalties will be higher for violating state laws in Louisiana that ban texting or posting to social media sites while driving and that restrict cell phone use for young drivers. Gov. John Bel Edwards announced...
Advocacy Groups Want Stronger Texting-Driving Ban in Oklahoma
May 24 2016 // Just six months after Oklahoma’s ban on texting and driving went into effect, advocacy groups are calling for even broader measures to curb distracted driving. Oklahoma was among the last states to pass a texting and...
