“National traffic crash data does not indicate that cell phone use while driving is anywhere near the top when looking at the different types of distracted driving,” says Colonel James Champagne, chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association. “In fact, cell phone use as a cause of traffic crashes ranked behind drowsy driving, reaching for something in the car while driving, turning the radio knob, eating, putting on make-up, and talking with passengers. States that have outlawed cell phones are kidding themselves.”

Massachusetts State Senator Steven A. Baddour agrees. The state legislature there is considering several proposals related to cell phones and driving, and Baddour plays a key role as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. According to the state senator, “When misused, cell phones can be hazardous for drivers, but so can an infinite number of other distractions that lead to countless crashes every year. At the end of the day, we can’t legislate responsibility, but we can promote it by educating the public on safe driving and the risks that accompany reckless distraction.”

Wireless Industry Education Programs
A number of wireless companies and the industry’s association have stepped up to the plate and developed programs and sponsored public service announcement campaigns designed to educate distracted drivers. Most of these target young drivers, on the theory that they are least able to handle distractions behind the wheel.

“We live in an advanced digital age where multitasking is the rule,” says Laura Rowe, program manager with Sprint Nextel Corporation in Reston, Va. “All of us need to be educated about what is the safe and appropriate way to use tools like cell phones behind the wheel. And think of the youngest drivers, those who are just forming driving habits. Our program aims to influence young drivers before bad habits take hold and encourage them to focus on driving instead of distractions.”

The 50-minute classroom lesson plan developed by Sprint Nextel is called “Focus On Driving.” It is available free of charge to teachers nationwide and has been endorsed by public safety groups and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). The program asks students to participate by providing examples of common distractions behind the wheel and brainstorming ways to eliminate them. According to Rowe, the curriculum was designed with the idea that teens listen and learn best from their peers. It includes a classroom video, produced by Sprint Nextel, in which a group of real students, not actors, discuss distractions and the consequences of distracted driving.