Driving + Cell Phone = Distraction

Read the official highway accident report that includes the recommendation of banning the use of cell phones & texting by the National Transportation Safety Board. Need talking points? Distraction.gov has these along with ways you can get involved.

National Traffic and Road Closure Information

Getting ready for the drive home for Thanksgiving? Add this site, National Traffic and Road Closure Information, to your checklist of things to do before you leave.

Looking for a New Car? What About Fuel Economy?

There's a new fuel economy label that will help you to identify the potential fuel savings.

Documents of the Month: National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month

This month, our display will observe National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month.

• Designated driver: safe ride program
• The traffic safety box
• Put the brakes on the next drunk driver
• Make your parties rock substance free
• Alcohol & drug rules: an overview
• The visual detection of DWI motorists
• Friends don't let friends drive drunk! Three ways to keep a friend...
• The detection of DWI motorcyclists
• .08 BAC limit saves lives: why every stated needs a .08 BAC law
• Driving when you are taking medications
• Drugs and driving
• Alcohol and crime
• Alcohol, drugs and traffic safety
• DWI offenders under correctional supervision
• Alcohol and highway safety 2001: a review of the state of knowledge
• Blacks against drunk driving: a culture-based handbook to promote traffic safety awareness and action
• Impaired driving prevention toolkit
• State of knowledge of alcohol-impaired driving: research on repeat DWI offenders
• Setting limits, saving lives: the case for .08 BAC laws
• Impaired Driving

Ban on Texting while Driving

Since the city of Vestavia just passed a ban on texting while driving and the city of Birmingham is considering the same ban, I thought we'd visit the driving while distracted site. A few of the useful features of the site includes a list of states with bans against texting while driving, a challenge game that you might have your teenager complete and campaign tools should you want to bring distracted driving awareness to your area.

Federal Ban on Texting for Commercial Truck Drivers

Press release

Post from Fast Lane blog

Distracted Driving Summit at UAB Dec. 3, 2009

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is hosting the first statewide distracted driving summit today, Dec. 3, 2009. Ray LaHood, U.S. Transportation Secretary, will make a scheduled appearance. Check his blog, Fast Lane, tomorrow for a report of the summit.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation's Blog

Welcome to the Fast Lane is the official blog by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation's Blog. You may wish to follow Secretary LaHood via Twitter and Facebook. Both options are on the blog. Vroom vroom!

Documents of the Week: U.S. Department of Transportation

Our focus for the week of fall break is the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• Planning a vacation? Be sure to check America's Byways: National Scenic Byways Online for ideas, a podcast & more!
• Highway Statistics, 1958
• Public Roads, Sept/Oct 2000
• Have you heard the rumbling about drowsy drivers?
• Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division
• The Double-Nickel Challenge: Race to the Fuel Pump (has anyone tried driving double-nickels lately?)
• National Civilian GPS Services
• Bicycling for Everyone
• Estimating Auto Emissions of Alternative Transportation Systems, April 1972
• Department of Transportation, Second Annual Report, Fiscal Year 1968
• What you need to know about Air Bags
• Approaching Alternative Fueled Vehicle Crashes
• You're Not a Kid Anymore
• What happens if I'm stopped by an officer of the law?
• Getting to School Safely
• Driving Safely While Aging Gracefully
• Traffic Safety & Crime, Keeping Pace
• Pedestrian Safety Toolkit

Hope you enjoyed fall break!