Vermont launches distracted driving awareness campaign

Local police, EMS officials weigh in.

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2016-07-19 / Front Page Vermont launches distracted driving awareness campaign Local police, EMS officials weigh in By Tory Jones Bonenfant toryb@eagletimes.com A person who is driving 70 mph is traveling 100 feet per second. While writing a three second text message, that driver can go the length of a football field without looking at the road — which can be “scary,” according to the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance. On Monday, July 18, the safety alliance launched a new Distracted Driving Campaign that aims to reduce major crashes and increase drivers’ awareness of the dangers associated with distracted driving. With portable technology becoming more popular and adding to distracted driving, the VHSA has identified distracted driving as a “critical emphasis area” for highway safety in Vermont, all according to a press release from Scott Davidson, chief of the Vermont Agency of Transportation’s Governor’s Highway Safety Program. Springfield Fire Chief Russell Thompson said on Monday that it is “really easy to stereotype young people” as distracted drivers. That is not always the case, however, he said. “We have seen that it holds no age limit,” Thompson said. Drivers of a wide range of ages are affected by distracted driving, he said. Thompson said his crews respond more to the emergency medical services aspects of urgent response calls, while the police department takes care of investigating accidents, including those that may involve distracted drivers. Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston was unavailable on Monday. In Windsor, Police Chief William Sampson said on Monday that distracted driving is “a concern for law enforcement in general.” The popularity of cellphones and texting has created an increase in distracted driving “that we haven’t seen in the past,” Sampson said. The police chief said that a few sections of distraction such as texting while driving could have severe consequences, and cautioned drivers against it. “It’s not worth your life or the life of another,” Sampson said. Police chiefs in Bellows Falls and Claremont were unavailable for comment on Monday afternoon. Drivers and safety officials need to heighten attention to distracted driving to better understand the correlation between technology use, distracted driving, and major crashes, according to the press release. Distracted driving is any activity, whether visual, manual, or cognitive, that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving, according to the press release, a collaboration between GHSP and VHSA. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), distraction contributes to more than 5,000 traffic fatalities each year. In 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 10 percent of fatal crashes and 18 percent of injury crashes were reported as “distraction-affected” crashes, according to the press release. To prevent distracted driving, the VHSA urges motorists to do the following: — Turn off electronic devices and put them out of reach before starting to drive. — Be good role models for young drivers and set a good example. Talk with teens about responsible driving. — Speak up when you are a passenger and your driver uses an electronic device while driving. Offer to make the call for the driver, so their full attention stays on the driving task. — Always wear a seat belt, which is the best defense against other unsafe drivers. By law, drivers are not permitted to use a portable, hand-held device to text or to send instant messages or emails while operating a motor vehicle on a public highway or in a place open to to vehicle circulation in Vermont, including while the vehicle is stationary. Juveniles younger than 18 may not use any portable electronic device while driving. Penalties for violating Vermont’s texting law include fines of $156 to $329, points taken from licenses, and license recalls, depending on the offender’s age and the number of offenses. To view the laws on distracted driving for Vermont, visit http://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes. For more information on the campaign, visit http://vermonthighwaysafety.org/about-us/strategic-highway-safety-plan/.