Teaching your teens about distracted driving hazards

Via MattarMedia - We have been blogging about distracted driving since last week. The statistics show that teens are not getting the message about how dangerous and deadly the consequences really can be.

There are so many distractions that drivers need to be aware of - music, eating, cell phones, other people in the car, etc. As parents, we need to take the time to talk to our teenagers about safe driving techniques. Have your teen take this quiz to see how much they really know about the hazards of texting while driving. Then have them watch the graphic texting while driving video.

Most importantly, as parents we need to model safe driving in our own vehicles. Practice what you preach.

Strange stories about distracted driving

Via MattarMedia - We hear a lot of talk in the media about the problem of texting and driving, or cell phone use and driving, but what about other types of distracted driving? Most of us have witnessed another driver doing something ridiculous, like applying makeup, eating, or navigating with a large road map, while driving. Why are so many Americans convinced that driving is a great time to show off their multi-tasking skills?

A local radio call-in show covered this topic a few weeks ago. Callers shared some outrageous stories regarding distracted driving. We have a highlighted a couple here:

One caller recalled a story about driving behind a car that was swerving all over the road. When he found an opportunity to safely pass the driver, he discovered that she was reading! She had a hardcover novel spread out on the steering wheel and was actively reading it.

Another caller told the audience about a time when they passed a car and saw that the driver was brushing his teeth - complete with toothbrush, a tube of paste and a bottle of water (for rinsing, of course).

Do you have a distracted driving story that you would like to share? We would love to hear it - feel free to comment below.

Distracted driving kills people every day. Moral of the story: Just wait until you get where you are going. The time "saved" isn't worth the risk taken.

NYPD crackdown on drivers on phones nets 3,700

Via MattarMedia NEW YORK CITY - Police have sent a message to more than 3,700 drivers they say were talking or texting behind the wheel in New York City: Hang up.

The New York Police Department issued 3,753 summonses for using hand-held cell phones while driving during the first 18 hours of a daylong crackdown Thursday. Each ticket carries a fine of up to $150.

The department says it issued an average of 617 summonses a day last year for cell-phone offenses.

Accident in Lewiston Leaves One Seriously Injured

Via MattarMedia LEWISTON, NY - A 17-year old Youngstown driver was seriously injured after his car slammed into a Department of Transportation truck. The accident happened Thursday afternoon on the Robert Moses Parkway just north of Lewiston.

"Iit appears from our preliminary investigation the dot truck was part of a work crew it had another vehicle travelling in front of it they were doing patch work so they were travelling a slow rate of speed when the other vehicle came up behind it and struck the dump truck from behind", Sgt. Frank Previte of the Lewiston Police Department told Eyewitness News.

17 year-old driver Michael Gifford was taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC with leg and chest injuries. Police believe the cause of the accident may have been distracted driving.

"The preliminary investigation does indicate to us that he did not see or was distracted by something else because we did not find any skid marks or tire marks where there's obvious braking he did hit it at a fairly good rate of speed", said Sgt. Previte.

According to AAA driver inattention is a factor in more than 1 million crashes in north america annually, resulting in serious injuries, deaths and an economic impact reaching nearly $40 billion per year.

Triple-A also says using a cell phone while driving has been found to quadruple your risk of crashing.

"The operator also did have a cell phone that we found close to him in his proximity but we're not sure if an electronic device may have been involved either "texting" or cell phone we are in the process of checking those records to see what the timing is on that", Sgt. Previte said.

Last year state lawmakers made it illegal to text while driving, but even with the new law cellphones and texting continue to be a major cause of accidents.

"Preliminarily, we do believe there was some activity on that phone around that time", said Sgt. Previte.

Driver Using Cell Phone Involved in Crash

via MattarMedia - Binghamton,NY (WBNG)

Binghamton,NY (WBNG Binghamton) Careless driving sends one person to the hospital after after a one car crash in Binghamton.

Emergency crews responded to the scene on I-81 North shortly before 9am Thursday morning.

The driver was using his cell phone while attempting to take exit 3.

He hit the guard rail, lost control, and ended up off the road.He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Your text messages may be used against you...

Via MattarMedia ...if you're one of the world's dumbest criminals...

Nicholas Greenly dropped his cell phone near where an 84-year-old woman had her purse snatched in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Cops suspected that he might be involved in the crime when they read the phone's last outgoing text message: "I am ready to grab some old lady's purse."

Crack down on drivers using cell phones

Via MattarMedia BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A State Police crack down is kicking cell phone use to the curb along the thruway.

The blitz comes ahead of a new state law that bans texting behind the wheel.

Captain Michael Nigrelli warns, "There's someone that's looking at a $160 fine."

After day one of Operation Hang Up, New York State Thruway Police, just on the Buffalo stretch handed out 33 tickets for drivers using cell phones.

"Not really sure what people did before cell phones but today, that's what they do, they drive and they talk," said Captain Nigrelli.

Captain Nigrelli let News 4 ride along in an unmarked police SUV and it wasn't hard to catch people.

Because News 4 along for the ride, Captain Nigrelli didn't pull anyone over but would warn them with the siren.

In less than an hour, News 4 pulled up alongside at least six drivers talking while driving.

"This is what I'm talking about. These people are oblivious to what's going around them," he said.

This crack down also comes just weeks before the state imposes a new texting while driving law.

Up till now, you could text but not drive while holding the cell phone to your ear.

Come November 1st, it will be a secondary offense to text and drive, so state police still couldn't pull over people who are obviously texting, unless they have some other violation like weaving in and out of their lane.

"And that's the offense you use to make the stop. Once you make the stop, then you also enforce the texting law," Captain Nigrelli explained.

Even though the state law is a secondary law, a new county law will probably be in effect by December, allowing local police to pull you over for texting as a primary offense.