In a joint effort to combat distracted driving, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Wednesday that the two agencies will look at technologies and methods to reduce the deadly practice.
The combined efforts will include an educational outreach that underscores the hazards of driving while texting or talking on cell phones, as well as other behaviors that cause driver distractions and can lead to fatal accidents.
Distracted driving in an issue of critical importance, which “is costing lives and inflicting injuries across the nation’s roads and railways,” LaHood told a congressional subcommittee on commerce, trade and consumer protection. Genachowski added that though the behavior has become ingrained in the motoring public, he’s confident the collaborative efforts can have a large impact the problem.
The two agencies plan to form a working group to find “creative solutions” using technology and consumer education, said Genachowski. The FCC chair said he was confident the collaboration can have “a major impact on the problem” by drawing on the resources and expertise of both organizations.
Source: Thetrucker.com