WASHINGTON-The Governors Highway Safety Association said states next year will have new guidelines for collecting vehicular crash data that take account of driver use of cell phones, pagers and other electronic devices in traffic accidents.
The new guidelines, which will help build a database that states and others can look to in making driver-distraction policy, were crafted by the GHSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drivers distracted by cell-phone conversations have been tied to deaths and injuries.
New York imposed a ban on talking on handheld phones while driving in 2001, and other states are considering doing the same.
In the past, the mobile-phone industry said it supports improved crash data collection.
“A growing number of states are considering enacting a policy to address the issue of driving while talking on a cell phone. To fully understand the extent of the problem, it’s crucial that states have a mechanism to document crashes caused by the driver being distracted by a cell phone or some other activity. MMUCC (Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria) gives them this tool,” said Barbara Harsha, executive director of the GHSA.
