A new study from Allstate Corp. suggests that U.S. motorists may not be as skilled of drivers as they may think. The study shows that the majority of Americans consider themselves to be good drivers with safe habits. This notion is contrary to the evidence compiled by Allstate that suggests otherwise. How the auto insurance industry will react to the study is yet to be seen. Whether the study will serve as inspiration for drivers to improve their habits is also unclear. Allstate studied more than 1,000 adults in the…
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GMAC’s annual report shows that drivers are being distracted by smart phones
With smart phones becoming such a fundamental part of daily life, more people are finding it difficult to separate themselves from mobile devices while driving. The need for constant contact seems to be overwhelming in some cases, leading to distraction and accidents. GMAC Insurance, a high-profile car insurer, has released their latest annual report regarding the issue. Titled 2011 GMAC Insurance National Driver Test, the report shows that smart phones are one of the leading causes of distraction amongst drivers of all ages. According to the report, 8 in 10…
Read MoreCaught texting while driving can quickly add up in fines
More than 31 states have now enacted texting and driving laws and eight states, including D.C. and the Virgin Islands have laws prohibiting all drivers from using handheld devices while driving. The state of Delaware passed their law at the beginning of this year and have all ready handed out tickets to more than 2500 drivers. In April the entire state of Delaware conducted a “one-day” concentrated effort to make everyone aware of the new law. Over 350 people were ticketed for violations in that one day campaign. A spokeswoman…
Read MoreNew York throughs the book at texting drivers
Drivers in New York beware. The Senate has put through a new law that will make texting while driving a primary offense. New York is just one of a few states left where texting and driving (or talking on the phone and driving) is a secondary offense. Out of 31 states that ban using mobile devices while driving, New York is one of four states where it isn’t a primary offense. What does this mean for drivers who use their mobile devices while on the road? As a secondary offense,…
Read MoreNorth Dakota new texting while driving law in effect
North Dakota joined ranks with thirty other states that have enacted laws to decrease distracted driving accidents. Most of the states, including North Dakota, have taken aim at the use of cell phones while driving. Eight states have banned all use of (hand held) cell phones while driving. Thirty one states, including North Dakota have banned texting and driving. Statistics show that drivers who use their phones are four times more likely to be in a serious accident. The use of mobile devices was found to be the number one…
Read MoreAlabama: A new bill to stop distracted drivers voted on
Republican Representative Jim McClendon is sponsoring a bill in the Alabama House that will make texting while driving an illegal offense. McClendon sponsored a similar bill last year, but the Senate voted it down. The Republican Representative is cautiously optimistic that the bill will be passed by this year’s Senate. Texting while driving, or talking on the phone, falls in the “distracted driving” category. This has become an issue severe enough that most states are starting campaigns to raise awareness about the seriousness of it. Pilot programs were done in…
Read MoreOklahoma in not “OK” with driving while texting
The Oklahoma Senate recently approved the Senate Bill 146 with a vote of 32 to 9, with the bill now making it illegal for drivers to text while they are driving. The bill was authored by Senator Jerry Ellis, D-Valliant who says that this addresses not a new problem but rather, a growing one. He further claims that the public is the one seeing that texting while driving indeed leads to greater chances of encountering accidents. While an inexperienced teen driver has more of a chance of meeting up with…
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